Art Basel 2019

This past year has seen the Polestar 1 take many forms. First and foremost, the electric performance hybrid we’ve spent untold hours designing, building, and testing. Then, there was the NFS Heat™ incarnation, clad in yellow and black, aggressively stanced and with a double spoiler like something out of The Expanse.

And now the version by famed muralist and creative juggernaut Tristan Eaton. Covered in a mix of patterns and shapes which are his visual signature, and sporting the NFS Heat™ modifications, this was the Polestar 1 displayed at Art Basel 2019.

Art Basel is an annual art fair held in multiple cities across the globe. It began as a series of exhibitions organised by Swiss gallerists Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner and Balz Hilt in 1970. Now, it’s a commercial and creative hub for both established and emerging artists worldwide, taking place in Basel (naturally), Hong Kong and Miami.

And it’s the Miami version which played host to the Polestar 1. This was the obvious choice for a few reasons. Firstly, Miami is the real-life inspiration for Palm City, the tropical metropolis in which NFS Heat™ is based. Secondly, Miami is dotted with the works of Tristan Eaton, whose murals can be seen throughout Miami’s Wynwood neighbourhood, adorning the Arcade and the famous Wynwood Walls.

Wynwood is a former industrial warehouse district turned street art mecca, attracting approximately 3 million visitors every year. The Wynwood Walls, on 2520 NW Second Avenue, form the centre of the art and fashion district. They feature a rotating selection of murals by artists such as Kenny Scharf, Ron English and Eaton’s good friend Shepard Fairey. These streets host Art Basel every December, the sounds of spray paint cans and soca music forming an audio tapestry every bit as rich as the murals which can be seen in all directions.

It was here that Eaton’s version of the Polestar 1 was placed. A steady stream of onlookers surrounded it at all times, as taken by Eaton’s eye-popping art as by the design of the Polestar 1 itself.

This particular Polestar 1, thanks to the creativity and tireless work ethic of all involved, has taken on its final form. And what a form it is.

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