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DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 1, 2008 – With its distinctive angles, grooves and arches, the new Ford Flex is, at its core, a movable, functional work of art.
So it was no surprise that when the South Florida Ford Dealers approached five local artists and asked them to create pieces using the Flex as their muse, they enthusiastically accepted.
The art exhibit not only increased awareness of Ford's innovative new crossover, it also raised approximately $3,000 for the Romero Britto Foundation, which assists charitable organizations benefiting children.
"I love challenges like this," said artist Marina Huang. "It is a very inviting car. The design, while it incorporated a little of the past, is very contemporary. I usually take my inspiration from everyday objects around me, so this actually fit into my style very well."
The late-summer art gala, coined "ReFLEXions" and starring the Flex and its inspired pieces, was held in Miami's trendy design district. It not only celebrated the uniqueness of the vehicle but also introduced it to a new, influential demographic.
"The Flex is not just another vehicle," said Rob Johnston, Ford regional marketing. "So we wanted to do something different. We wanted to use this event to reach out to the arts community and show off the Flex to influential people who appreciate design."
More than 500 people showed up to view and bid on the artwork, and check out the new Flex.
As for the art pieces – highlighted under the pulsing, ever-changing images of video artist Miguel Rodriguez - they were as diverse and distinct as the car itself.
Artist Oliver Sanchez, for instance, created a large sculpture of a "fossilized" Flex, as if viewed by someone from the distant future. Ibett Yanez took photographs of an old Ford F-150 she and her father restored, projected disparate images of the Flex on top of it, and photographed the combination as a collage. Carlos de Villasante painted his inspired artwork on a car hood he designed. Luis M. Alonzo-Barkigia sculpted a muscular, gold upper body – flexing, of course. And Huang focused not on the vehicle, but on the shared experiences of the people inside.
Her 6-foot installation piece "Seven Passengers" featured the outlines of seven figures gathered behind a steering wheel.
"One thing that struck me about the (Flex) was that it seats seven, and that number kept popping up in my head," Huang said. "When you ride in a car with other people, you have a shared experience. That's what I decided to focus on."
"The pieces were all incredible," said Alex Fenandez-Casais, vice-president of JWT-Team Detroit of Miami, which organized the event. "I don't know what the artists first thought of when they were approached by a car company, but when they realized we were serious, that we were true to this, they got so excited and that's reflected in all their pieces. I think we really touched the arts community that night; they saw Ford with new eyes. And they were impressed."
About the Vehicle
Flex offers spacious seating for up to seven passengers and a host of class-leading technologies, such as an integrated refrigerator between the second-row seats; SYNC, an advanced in-car system developed by Ford and Microsoft that voice-activates Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and MP3 players; EasyFuel™ capless fuel filler; a distinctive multi-panel Vista Roof™; ambient lighting and a reverse camera system.
SIRIUS® Travel Link™ is available as part of the vehicle's voice-activated navigation system. It provides users with a suite of data services including continuously updated fuel price information for more than 120,000 gas stations.
Flex ranks among the best in its class for fuel economy, delivering 24 mpg on the highway. Pricing for the vehicle starts at $28,895, including destination.
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About Ford Motor Company:
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit our website at www.ford.com.