Belgian artist Harald Thys has collaborated with Brussels gallery and design company Maniera (opens in new tab) on an exhibition that expands its focus on unique industrial design projects. Thys is best known for working with Jos de Gruyter, creating dreamlike sculptures and drawings that evoke folk art and children’s drawings.
Piip is an electric car, a design born not from focus groups and decades of carefully curated brand heritage, but out of Thys’ long-standing obsession with cars and car culture.
The design itself references the rounded, proto-aerodynamic forms of early mass-market ‘people’s cars’, combined with the naïve imagery of a child’s idealistic representation – bonnet, passenger compartment, boot.
Wheels and headlights are kept small, with the circular motif extending to mirrors and doorhandles. The bodywork is rounded and friendly, with no aggressive angles or voracious-looking ducts.
Maniera has always been about invited collaborations, bringing architects, artists, and designers together to create ‘functional objects’ in a gallery context.
To bring this project to life, Thys worked with Belgian car designer Lowie Vermeersch, formerly of Pininfarina and now head of the Granstudio mobility design agency.
The car design was developed in collaboration with the Belgian car designer Lowie Vermeersch
For Vermeersch, the partnership was a welcome diversion from the industry’s current path; he describes Piip as ‘a modestly sweet design, far from all the evil and malicious car designs of the last decade’.
For the exhibition, the gallery becomes a virtual car showroom, complete with imaginary branding and 3D-printed models.
The Piip 'showroom' at Maniera Gallery in Brussels
‘Harald Thys: PiiP’
At Maniera, Place de la Justice 27, 28 1000 Brussels, until 13 November 2022
maniera.be (opens in new tab), granstudio.com (opens in new tab)
-
This winter’s most stylish skiwear, Gucci to HermèsStatement-making skiwear for on and off the slopes, from Louis Vuitton, Dior, Moncler and more
-
Clásicos Mexicanos celebrates Mexican design’s golden age
Design Miami 2022: the Maestro Dobel Artpothecary in collaboration with Clásicos Mexicanos features works from Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta’s ‘Vallarta’ collection
-
HTL Africa imagines architecture as an ‘object of performance’
HTL from Nigeria is next up in our series of profiles of architects, spatial designers and builders shaping West Africa’s architectural future
-
Everrati announces a transformed, all-electric Range Rover Classic and Land Rover Defender
British company Everrati now transforms the iconic Range Rover Classic and Land Rover Defender into high-end, go-anywhere electric vehicles
-
Cupra Born: new arrival is one of the best compact EVs on the market
The new Cupra Born embodies characterful design and the spirited zip of electric driving
-
Two new electric off-roaders – Munro Mk1 and Fering Pioneer – embody the spirit of adventure in sharp-edged, minimal suits
The Munro Mk1 and Fering Pioneer are designed to go anywhere, electrically. We check out the next generation of utility vehicles
-
Kia Niro EV combines quiet competence with engaging modern design
The Kia Niro EV sets a new standard for compact electric cars, with sophisticated design, impressive range and plenty of equipment
-
Revived cult classic all-electric Moke makes it to the States
An all-new electric version of the original Mini Moke harks back to its roots with a limited-edition Californian model
-
Volvo EX90 brings electrification to the upper end of the Volvo range
A full-sized seven-seater, the all-new Volvo EX90 is the Swedish company’s safest and most sophisticated SUV to date
-
The Genesis GV60 marks a new era for electrified luxury
The Genesis GV60 is one of the best EVs you can buy, a clean-sheet EV that puts the Korean luxury brand firmly on the map
-
The new Rolls-Royce Spectre glides into view
Rolls-Royce’s first-ever EV is a big moment for the brand. The Spectre retains the brand’s trademark sense of occasion and sheer physical scale without an exhaust pipe in sight
