Over two thousand years ago, imperial envoy Zhang Qian visited China’s west, opening a land route that begins in Chang’an and winds its way through Gansu and Xinjiang to central and western Asia and, eventually, the Mediterranean Sea. Silk was the major product traded along this route, which later became known as the Silk Road, and its success helped stimulate cultural and economic exchange between East and West. In 2009, Ferrari announced its first model to be designed especially for the Chinese market – continuing a trend of east-west trading that started two thousands years earlier. Following the success of the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show, which once again showcased the world’s finest vehicles and sent the city into a frenzy, Beijing artist Lu Hao was invited by Ferrari to design a limited-edition 599 GTB Fiorano for the Chinese market. The new vehicle was unveiled some months later on 3 November, 2009 at Beijing’s Red Gate Gallery. The body is a cool jade colour, with randomly spaced ‘crackle’ designs that are reminiscent of Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery.
Inside the car, the silver-edged jade ‘start’ button is inscribed with the characters for ‘start’ in ancient Xiao Zhuan script. The numbers one to 10 on the car’s rev counter have also been written in Xiao Zhuan script, and the custom-made luggage is embroidered with silk-road inspired motifs in tribute to the route that Marco Polo followed and which played such a vital role in connecting East with West. When we finally meet with Hao, it’s in Beijing which is still abuzz with holiday spirit in the days following Spring Festival. Hao’s rustic studio, by contrast, is completely tranquil. When we arrive, he is dressed smartly in red and is being photographed by photographer Jasper James. Given their relaxed conversation, we can tell that Hao is willing to share his feelings with people around – from the things that make him happy to his artistic inspiration. On that topic, he says: ‘I don’t want to follow the masses into the mainstream. Everything I do is related to emotion.’
The body is a cool jade colour, with randomly spaced ‘crackle’ designs that are reminiscent of Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery
Born in Beijing, of Manchu descent, Hao has a special affection for his hometown. ‘I grew up in a courtyard compound, which are all slowly being torn down,’ he says, a topic poignantly addressed in his work A Thousand Arrows in the Sky. ‘I incorporate memories into my work, and Chinese classical culture plays a big role,’ he adds.
‘If you get a chance, you can look at some of them in my workshop or in galleries overseas.’
Hao admits that he struggled early on in the design process for the 599 China – as it would later be called. One day, however, he got a flash of inspiration. Why not use Ge Kiln pottery as a design element? Once the gates of inspiration were opened, the design came easily. When he was finished, instead of providing Ferrari with several design choices, he gave them just one. And just as he suspected, it was perfect. Ferrari is a brand that Italians are rightly proud of, and the new blend of Italian craftsmanship and Chinese culture is a first for both China and Ferrari.
Talking about his first impressions of Ferrari, Hao laughs and says: ‘You have no idea. I was only a teenager when I saw my first Ferrari. I had no knowledge of the brand. I was with my uncle on the bus and I saw an amazing red sports car fly past. My uncle told me it was a Ferrari. There were very few of them in Beijing at the time, and I never would have guessed that I would own one some day.’ Hao falls quiet and looks over at his sketches. ‘[What’s] more, [that I would] work together with Ferrari to design [the] 599 GTB for China.’ After Hao’s design was finalised, he worked closely with the production team at Maranello over a fivemonth period. After working through the finer details of the design, and the issues they faced with getting Hao’s ideas onto the car’s entire bodyshell, the Ferrari engineers successfully completed the car. Revisiting that time still holds happy memories for Hao. ‘I first visited the Ferrari factory on 2 June, 2009 and I was very impressed,’ he says. ‘The factory was full of skilled craftsmen who really respected their work. Each operation was meticulously performed, as if they were collectively building an extraordinary work of art. I realised that it’s the quality of their production team that allows Ferrari to consistently stay at the top of the automobile industry.’ The 599 China is, of course, not in the classic Ferrari red, but decorated with the unique patterns of Chinese Ge Kiln pottery, a design effect that is inspired by Hao’s nostalgia for his homeland. Says Hao: ‘I wanted to help create a car that is elegant and noble to represent China. Ferrari is the pinnacle of Western industrial culture, and porcelain plays a corresponding role in Chinese culture. In Italian, the word for China is ‘Cina’. It sounds like a girl’s name [and] I thought it was perfect for this car.’ Hao’s eventual design choice was a simple Chinese one that Ferrari enthusiasts can easily identify and understand. And just as he has rejected ornate styles in his art, he hopes Ferrari fans worldwide will focus on the car itself and not just the exterior. ‘I hope the car I’ve helped design will be driven, and not just sit in a garage,’ he says.
“I incorporate memories into my work, and Chinese classical culture plays a big role”
Using Ge Kiln pottery as a design influence was a first for Hao. ‘I love Ge Kiln. Its production was a blend of manually controlled and naturally occurring processes. The final colours are unique to Ge Kiln: they are all jade, but come in an astounding variety of shades.’ One of the treasures of classical Chinese culture, porcelain was shipped to the West through the Silk Road over a thousand years ago. Ge Kiln pottery represents one of the pinnacles of Chinese porcelain arts. Only a few hundred pieces remain, all of them priceless. Aside from making art, Hao’s other love is driving. ‘I like the feeling of speed,’ he says. ‘When I feel tense I go driving by myself, it’s a way for me to relieve stress.’ As an artist, Hao thrives on emotion, and draws artistic inspiration from the feeling of explosive speed. ‘Sometimes when I’m driving I unconsciously start competing with other drivers. When I step on the accelerator, it’s like I’m flying. It’s a feeling of unparalleled happiness. Much of this is due to my Ferrari F430, which not only gives me this feeling of speed, but has become my trusted friend.’ As a real connoisseur of automobiles, Hao wants to know all about a car and its cultural background before finally purchasing it. Even though he already owned several sports cars, the F430 quickly became his favourite. Hao believes that automotive designers give a car a certain style and, much like himself, Ferrari’s models are bold and passionate. ‘Good cars have to go fast and stop fast, too,’ he adds, with a big smile. Maybe some sunny day in Beijing you too will come across Hao as he and a few friends hit the road, Beethoven on the stereo. Immersed in the swelling music, they enjoy the feeling of passion and power that only a Ferrari can bring. The car’s surface gleams in the sunlight as it follows the winding road through the hills, as if tracing out a new Silk Road.
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