Land Rover has revealed a unique collaboration with renowned French sculptor Richard Orlinski ‑ an art installation using a full‑size Range Rover Evoque Convertible wireframe created by Land Rover.

Orlinski, best known for his giant sculptures depicting wild animals, created the piece in his Parisian studio before it was shipped to the slopes of ski resort Courchevel, where it is being displayed as part of the BORN AWARDS presented by Land Rover ‑ a three month celebration of design and creative talent.

The installation will remain on site in the French Alps for the remainder of the ski season and is on display in Courchevel.

Based around a full‑size aluminium wireframe of the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, the installation creates a striking juxtaposition with the snow‑covered slopes of Courchevel and features one of Orlinski's signature gorilla sculptures positioned in the driving seat. It is grounded on a recurring theme in his work, the Born Wild concept, which aims to 'to transform negative emotions into positive vital impulses, to move from primordial instinct to emotion civilized' and reflects the key values of the Range Rover Evoque ‑ a car born in the wild but adapted for the city.

The resin gorilla that appears to be driving the Evoque Convertible was chosen for its relation to humans but also its relative 'perfection'. As Orlinski explains, "I wanted to have one of my favourite sculptures driving the car. We chose King Kong the gorilla, which is seen as one of my emblems, because he is the animal who is the closest to a human and therefore the one we can all identify with. He is the animal that has the qualities of a human, but not our faults. He's got our strength and perhaps our intelligence. He's all we'd like to be… he's the perfect human in a way. So that's why he's driving the wireframe."

Orlinski first started producing sculptures in 2004 and quickly shot to fame. In 2015 he has been ranked the best‑selling contemporary French artist by art market information service ArtPrice and was the guest of honour at festivals and art fairs including Art Paris Fair, Art Basel and the FIAC Paris.

Orlinski's work has a close synergy with the automotive world, not least because he is an avid car enthusiast, collector and racer and uses automotive materials and techniques in his own work. As he explains, "At the moment I'm working on cars ‑ I'm making racing helmets, and I customise cars for racing drivers. The automotive world has always been present for me. We use automotive paint for our sculptures, so there is always a connection between the sculptures and the cars. Even at the beginning of my career we were always going to car shows ‑ that's where you find the most beautiful paints and the best colour ranges.

Land Rover's series of aluminium wireframes began with the launch of the original Range Rover Evoque in 2011 and developed into a recognisable collection of works in its own right. The Land Rover wireframes have been displayed in various iconic cities across the world including London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Milan, Berlin and Shanghai. Based on the original designs and data that are produced when a vehicle is first created, they manage to capture the true spirit and essence of the vehicle, instantly identifiable by their shape.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Design Officer, says of the installation: "We are incredibly excited to work with an artist of Richard's calibre and to see his personal vision of the Range Rover Evoque wireframe. We have created versions of these wireframes since the development of the original Evoque and over the years they have become iconic in their own right. Our partnership with BORN is all about celebrating creativity and it is fantastic to see this creativity applied to a design that is so close to my heart."

The launch of Orlinski's installation marks the start of the BORN AWARDS by Land Rover ‑ a celebration of design resulting from the partnership between Land Rover and BORN, the leading alternative financing platform for lifestyle businesses and creative entrepreneurs. The BORN AWARDS recognise excellence in design strategy and execution ‑ values inherent in Land Rover ‑ and will be judged by a panel chaired by BORN's Founder Jean‑Christophe Chopin and Gerry McGovern.

The brands are working together to celebrate the world's Creative Leaders and encourage emerging artistic talent, and have released a series of short films of exclusive interviews with creative heavyweights from the world of design, architecture, fashion, gastronomy and business. The Creative Leader films are released via the BORN website (www.born.com) and Land Rover's social channels.

As part of both Land Rover and BORN's commitment to shine a light on emerging creative talent, they've also enlisted a series of leading Instagram influencers to tell visual stories with both the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Evoque Convertible.

The best storyteller, as selected by Gerry McGovern and Jean‑Christophe Chopin, will receive a BORN AWARD for Instagram Creativity at the celebration in late March.

ENDS