Technology disguised as art? Don't mind if we do.
First we saw a TV that is disguised as a painting, now we bring you speakers that are disguised as modern art.
High-end Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen has revealed a special edition speaker collection with the cult-classic director, screenwriter, artist, and musician David Lynch.
In a collaboration that none of us saw coming, David Lynch transformed three of Bang & Olufsen’s speakers with his very own limited edition artwork.
The collaboration transforms technology into modern art and is a clever solution to how we integrate technology into our home spaces and design choices.
Many people know of David Lynch due to his works on screen, from Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, but what many aren’t aware of is that he’s also an accomplished contemporary artist.
David Lynch has lent his artistic vision to Bang & Olufsen, wrapping various speakers in artwork created over his lifetime.
The exclusive collaboration features a selection of speakers with designs and images taken from his 1970s War Between the Shapes series and his Paris Suite lithographs created in 2007 at the renowned Idem Paris studio.
The Beoplay P2 portable speaker, Beoplay M5 wireless speaker and Beoplay A9 floorstanding speaker have all been given the Lynch treatment, bearing his exclusive prints.
This being David Lynch, who has a penchant for revealing disturbing tales from the dark side, the designs are all wild, grungy and fantastical.
One of Bang & Olufsen’s largest at-home speakers, the BeoPlay A9 speaker, features a hypnotic red and black graphic design from the Paris Suite lithographs. The A9 is limited to only five examples (each of them hand-signed by David Lynch), and won’t be on sale, but you can pick up the M5 for £700 and the P2 for £175 at Harrods in London, or online and at B&O stores.
The Beosound Shape, a wall-mounted wireless speaker system, features artwork from the War Between the Shapes series and will be available in only one edition, on view at MoMA Design Store’s Soho location from October 10 to November 11 as part of an immersive and interactive pop-up experience inspired by imagery from David Lynch’s films.
Lynch’s War Between the Shapes imagery has also been embossed onto the minimalist Beoplay M5 compact wireless speaker, which has been given a cool, modern, abstract design. He also used his War Between the Shapes designs on the Beoplay P2 fully portable speaker, which features a dark, brooding, graffiti-esque aesthetic.
David Lynch’s signature is laser engraved on both; on the top of the Beoplay M5 speaker and printed on the bottom of the Beoplay P2.
B&O’s deep-rooted connection to the art and creative industry is well-known, so an endeavour as such does not come as a surprise – but this is not the first time the artist has collaborated with the Danish audio brand.
This marks the second collaboration between Bang & Olufsen and maverick multi-discipline artist David Lynch, a self-proclaimed long-time patron of the company, following his limited edition wrapping of the Beoplay A9 speakers in 2017.
Available exclusively through the MoMA Design Store, all 30 speakers were wrapped with his famed Paris Suite lithographs and were personally signed and numbered by Lynch.
MoMA has a long history of working with David Lynch, and a number of Bang & Olufsen objects are in The Museum’s permanent collection. Because of these connections, it was also a natural fit for MoMA Design Store to premier this unique collaboration.
The P2 costs £175, the M5 costs £700. The limited edition speaker collection will be available in limited quantities starting November 8 2018 exclusively at Harrods, as well as online and at selected Bang & Olufsen stores at a later date.
See more at www.bang-olufsen.com/davidlynch
