Mercedes-Benz and Virgil Abloh just made me hate art. They actually did. First off, it was a vague and overly artistic worded press release on Project Geländewagen. I took me the longest time to understand what they trying to do here. While my grammar may not be best, my English is still passable.

Mercedes-Benz x Virgil Abloh Project Geländewagen

But I really can’t wrap my head around it. I was like, “did they actually made this G-class or did they just created a model of it?” I was stumped. As it turns, they made both. The actual car you see above and a replica 1:3 scale model. So, yeah, this is the Mercedes-Benz x Virgil Abloh Project Geländewagen, a supposed race car-inspired G-class. In reality, it is more like a caricature of the G-Class.

Two things to get out of the way here. First, the German luxe automaker has custom an actual G-class and so yes, it is a real car. Second, they also made a 1:3 scale replica of that cartoonish car as an art collectible. It took me a while to understand that they had both created.

Mercedes-Benz x Virgil Abloh Project Geländewagen

The press release was a mass orgy of artsy expressions and marketing talk. The worst combination ever. For the record, I kind of dig the caricature G-Class (yes, I insist it is a caricature), but I don’t appreciate art being made the scapegoat of this creation.

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I do not want to be a sinner by regurgitating those force arguments how it is art. If you really want to know or learn more, you can watch the video after the post, or learn more over at the project page HERE.

Mercedes-Benz x Virgil Abloh Project Geländewagen

Anywho, with regard to the Mercedes-Benz x Virgil Abloh Project Geländewagen 1:3 Scale Maquette… is currently being auctioned as parted of Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated. All proceeds raised by the auction of this maquette will go towards a charity that supports the arts.

Sotheby’s estimated that the Mercedes-Benz x Virgil Abloh Project Geländewagen 1:3 Scale Maquette will fetch between US$60,000 to US$80,000. Live auction started on September 14 with final scale on October 02, 2020.

Images: Daimler AG/Sotheby’s.

Published by Mike

Avid tech enthusiast, gadget lover, marketing critic and most importantly, love to reason and talk.