Tag Archives: supports

Volkswagen

Fighting antisemitism: Volkswagen supports ‚Flashes of Memory’ visits

Volkswagen is committed to preserving the memories of the Holocaust and promoting understanding of its impact by supporting visits to the Museum für Fotografie in Berlin where the exhibition, ‚Flashes of Memory’, is being hosted. This exhibition, developed by the World Holocaust Remembrance Center Yad Vashem, features photographs and films documenting the Holocaust from the perspectives of perpetrators, victims, and liberators.

Volkswagen facilitated visits for its employees from various Group facilities to see the exhibition, which will be open until January 28, 2024. The exhibition presents visual records of deportations of Jewish people, living conditions in Jewish ghettos, and the liberation of concentration camps. Additionally, guests had the opportunity to engage in discussions with Dieter Landenberger, Volkswagen’s Head of Heritage, regarding the significance of fostering a strong culture of remembrance and the ongoing fight against racism, discrimination, and antisemitism.

Moreover, Volkswagen also invited students from the Carl Hahn School in Wolfsburg to visit the exhibition as part of their efforts to better understand the plight of refugees and provide assistance. In recognition of the students’ initiative, Volkswagen’s Youth and Trainee Council presented the Sara Frenkel Award for respect, tolerance, and civic courage to the project team. This award, named after Sara Frenkel, a Holocaust survivor and former forced laborer, honors her lifelong dedication to combating antisemitism and encouraging young people to engage in remembrance work.

These exhibition visits align with Volkswagen’s comprehensive remembrance initiatives, which reflect the company’s commitment to confronting its history and actively combating antisemitism, discrimination, and racism.

Benita von Maltzahn, Director Cultural Engagement of the Volkswagen Group, stated, ‘The extended display of the exhibition, ‚Flashes of Memory’, in Berlin underscores the urgent need to address the devastating effects of antisemitism and serves as a compelling reminder of the importance of this issue today. As a partner of the exhibition, we have established a platform for both the general public and our employees to engage with this critical topic and its lessons.’

Since the opening of the exhibition, ‚Flashes of Memory. Photography during the Holocaust.’, Volkswagen has served as an education partner, supporting the development and implementation of educational programs such as, ‚Ask Me!’ and ‚Close Up!’. These programs provide visitors with opportunities to ask questions and engage with experts on various topics related to the exhibition, free of charge.

BMW

BMW ART MAKERS: INSOLARE by artist Eva Nielsen and curator Marianne Derrien at Paris Photo 2023. BMW France is the official partner of the fair and presents this year’s winning project.

  • The BMW ART MAKERS program supports an artist-curator duo each year in creating an experimental visual arts project.
  • The winners of 2023, Eva Nielsen and Marianne Derrien, present their project INSOLARE.
  • Eva Nielsen was selected by Fiona Rogers, curator of the Elles x Paris Photo program, which promotes women photographers, launched by the French Ministry of Culture.
  • BMW France, a partner of Paris Photo and the VIP program for 21 years, provides the fair with a fleet of electric cars for transportation.
  • The BMW ART MAKERS program goes beyond by considering the impact of the territory on the exhibition, with an exploration of human activity’s impact on landscapes and a recyclable scenography, aligning with BMW Group’s environmental and circular strategy.

Paris. BMW Group has been a major supporter of culture for fifty years, contributing to the arts and knowledge dissemination through partnerships like the long-standing one with Paris Photo. BMW France supports the VIP program and provides a fleet of electric cars for transportation. The BMW ART MAKERS program supports an artistic project and exhibition curated by an artist-curator duo each year.

The INSOLARE exhibition presented by the BMW ART MAKERS winning duo.
The INSOLARE project is a collaboration between artist Eva Nielsen and curator Marianne Derrien specifically conceived for Rencontres d’Arles and Paris Photo, in which BMW is an official partner. Their poetic and scientific approach questions time and the changes in urban and Camargue landscapes. The project highlights the environmental changes leading to the disappearance of certain urban, industrial, and natural landscapes, constantly raising concerns about the human impact.

Eva Nielsen focuses on geographical and geological changes, a subject rarely explored by women artists. She took numerous photographs during her visits to the Camargue, which were then printed on curtains and transparent paper and re-photographed, superimposed on new samples from the Camargue. Through this process and the use of various materials and media such as photography, silkscreen, painting, veils, and fabrics, the images are overlaid and hybridized, creating a form of transfiguration. Nielsen sees her work as a topographer, bringing forth a “state of awareness” regarding the reality of a territory, its architecture, and environment. INSOLARE reflects the changing urban and industrial landscape of the Camargue.

Marianne Derrien, the winning curator, explains that in INSOLARE, Eva Nielsen explores climatic and geological phenomena that resurface as spectres of rural and industrial reality. Her road trip routes intersect with the territories leading to Arles, where the Camargue begins. The artist creates visual confusion, interweaving photography, silkscreen, and painting. Instead of official cartography, her subjective geography unfolds through the paths she takes. The accumulation of these solar and liquid landscapes forms a horizon of experience, where the feminine perspective connects the body and water. Nielsen and Derrien have designed a scenography that minimizes the project’s environmental impact.

Reusable and recyclable scenography
The scenography aims to address environmental and cultural heritage preservation. Aligned with BMW Group’s circular strategy, the exhibition aims to minimize the production and use of materials. Self-supporting metal structures have replaced traditional picture rails and are designed for reuse at the Paris Photo edition in November after Rencontres d’Arles.

“The BMW ART MAKERS program reflects BMW Group’s commitment to culture and society. From concept to exhibition, the INSOLARE project intertwines territory, ecology, and a feminine perspective, offering an original vision of the Camargue. The project’s reusable scenography echoes BMW Group’s environmental and circular strategy,” comments Maryse Bataillard, Head of Corporate Communications and CSR BMW Group France.

According to Florence Bourgeois, Director of Paris Photo, their 21-year partnership with BMW demonstrates strong support for artists. The BMW ART MAKERS sponsorship program provides remarkable support for creativity by showcasing an artist-curator duo each year. They are proud to feature the INSOLARE project by Eva Nielsen and Marianne Derrien at the 26th edition of Paris Photo, held at the Grand Palais Ephémère from November 9 to 12, 2023.

For more information, visit BMW (parisphoto.com).

Since 2022, BMW Group France has also been an official partner of the Cannes Film Festival and Paris + by Art Basel.

Stay updated and gain deeper insights into BMW Group’s global cultural engagement by following their Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.

News

Understanding Apple CarPlay and How It Works

If your car only supports a wireless connection or you prefer not to use a cable, the process of connecting your phone to Apple CarPlay can be slightly more complicated. The specific procedure may vary depending on the car you are using.

Some cars require you to plug in your phone for the initial setup, after which you can connect wirelessly for subsequent uses. Others function as a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you to connect your phone to them.

Compatible Apps for Apple CarPlay

Not all apps are compatible with Apple CarPlay, but the ones that are will appear on your car’s infotainment screen when you are connected. Here are some popular examples:

Spotify – a well-known service for streaming music, podcasts, and audiobooks

Messages – While it is not safe to text while driving, Apple’s Siri software can read your received texts aloud and let you send messages through voice control

Amazon Music – a music streaming app from the retail giant Amazon

BBC Sounds – the BBC’s own app for streaming podcasts and live radio

Apple Maps – Apple’s own navigation service

Waze – an independent navigation app with unique features not found in Google Maps or Apple Maps

Google Maps – Yes, Apple CarPlay is an Apple product, but you can still use Google Maps, which is considered one of the most reliable navigation apps

ZapMap, ChargePoint, Plugshare – Independent apps that help you quickly locate public charging points for your vehicle

Playing Games on Apple CarPlay

Since Apple CarPlay is designed to reduce distractions while driving, playing games using the software is not supported. Engaging in gaming could pose a significant risk as it may divert your attention from the road and endanger yourself and others.

Cars with Apple CarPlay

Did you know that the Ferrari FF was the first car to offer Apple CarPlay? This luxury car was updated in 2014 to include this innovative feature.

Technology

Understanding Kindle Unlimited Membership: Is it Worth the Cost?

Kindle Unlimited is a service that can be accessed on Kindle e-readers and smart devices with the Kindle app. Subscribers pay $11.99 per month and gain unlimited access to over a million ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines in the Kindle store. Once signed up, users can borrow and read as many ebooks as they want from the available catalog without any due dates. However, there is a limit of 20 books borrowed at a time, requiring users to return one book if they wish to borrow another. This limit does not apply to magazines.

It’s important to understand that Kindle Unlimited is separate from Amazon Prime, meaning it is not included with Prime membership. Additionally, Amazon offers a subscription to Audible, their audiobook subsidiary, starting at $7.95 per month.

The more expensive Audible Premium Plus subscription costs $14.95 per month and includes free access to titles in the Audible Plus library, discounts on select best-sellers, and a credit system allowing subscribers to claim one free title each month (Prime members receive two free titles with an Audible Premium Plus subscription). While Kindle Unlimited offers books and magazines, Audible is exclusively an audio service, though there is some overlap in content between the two subscriptions.