1987 Porsche 911 Carrera "911 Sculpture"
VIN: WP0AB091XHS121449
"911 Sculpture" by New York artist Daniel Arsham
Deconstructed, restored, and assembled during gallery
exhibitions
Bespoke Calcite Blue exterior and tri-blue leather interior
Rebuilt 3.2L flat six engine, 5-speed manual transmission
Color-matched Fuchs alloy wheels
Documented throughout its deconstruction and assembly
While many would consider their own automobiles "works of art," it
is rare to find a car that actually has been a subject of an entire
automotive-specific art installation. This 1987 Porsche 911
Carrera, used as the foundation for the art piece 911 Sculpture,
has now been reimagined by the artist Daniel Arsham and restored
according to his vision and art direction. His latest creations,
"Arsham-spec" functional Porsches, feature custom interiors that
mirror the textures and colors of his sculptures. Through the
process of restoration and the reimagination of what cars can
represent artistically, Arsham takes the form of a Porsche 911 and
breaks it down into an art form, with the reconstruction, colors,
and material choices culminating in a final art piece that is both
stunning to see as well as to experience to drive. 911 Sculpture is
the latest of these projects.
Arsham and Greg Anagostopolous, a trusted mechanic and self-taught
artist, deconstructed and restored the 911 Carrera in the public
eye, giving those lucky enough to glimpse the project an inside
look of how the 911 Sculpture was restored. Upon arriving at
Canepa, the 911 Sculpture was given the complete "Canepa
Difference" process, including a full mechanical inspection and
cosmetic detailing. The underside was washed by hand, the paint
polished using a multi-foam pad process, and the interior
delicately cleaned. Mechanically it was test driven and inspected,
and given a clean bill of health overall, making this rolling work
of art ready to be enjoyed for the first time since Arsham
completed it in 2023.
A short artist summary:
Daniel Arsham's project, titled Art is the Process, represents a
sophisticated convergence of automotive engineering and performance
art. Centered on the meticulous deconstruction of a 1987 Porsche
911 Carrera 3.2, the initial exhibition at Morton Street Partners
transformed a standard mechanical procedure into a meditative
ritual. Under the guidance of Arsham and close collaborator,
mechanic and self-taught artist Greg Anagnostopoulos, the vehicle's
individual components were treated as industrial artifacts and
displayed on pegboards, effectively turning the gallery into a
hybrid space of technical inquiry and artistic exhibition.
The project's second phase occurred during Arsham's retrospective
at the Perrotin Gallery in 2023, where the focus shifted toward
restoration and reassembly. The car was reimagined with a signature
Calcite Blue finish and customized interior details, such as
recolored gauge faces, and its reconstruction was performed live
within the gallery environment. By introducing professional
workshop tools into a traditional high-art setting, the
installation emphasized the intrinsic value of manual labor and the
creative journey, turning a space of passive contemplation into one
of active production.
Through this duality of destruction and creation, the Porsche was
transformed into a unique sculpture that challenges standard
perceptions of design and utility. Arsham's work invites the viewer
to move beyond the contemplation of the final product and instead
engage with the temporal and physical labor required to shape a
complex machine. This intersection of craft and fine art highlights
the beauty inherent in the process itself, redefining the
automobile as a vessel for exploring time, labor, and the hidden
aesthetics of engineering.
About artist Daniel Arsham
With work known to be at the intersection of art, architecture, and
performance, Daniel Arsham has cemented himself in the art world
since the early 2000s. Based in New York city, his commentary on a
wide range of subjects and matters has extended over two decades
with his signature concept, "Fictional Archaeology," taking iconic
objects from the present and reimagining them as geological relics
from a distant future.
Arsham is well known for being an automotive enthusiast, both seen
throughout his work and his automotive collections. One of his most
famous series, "Eroded Cars" takes the form of life-size automobile
forms that look as if they've been unearthed from a futuristic dig
site. Eroded Porsche 911, perhaps his most recognized work in this
vein, was created in multiple versions including white quartz and
ash. Eroded DeLorean is also another famous work of art by
Arsham.
ClassicCars.com has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, successfully making the Inc. 5000 list in both 2015,
2016, 2017 and 2018. This prestigious accolade represents the continued growth of the company, and ClassicCars.com's dominance as the world's largest online marketplace for
buying and selling classic and collector vehicles.
The Stevie Awards, the world's premier business awards recognized
ClassicCars.com's first-class Customer Support team with a Stevie Bronze Award in 2019, celebrating the team's skills as exemplary customer support specialists.
In 2016 The Journal, brought to you by ClassicCars.com, was celebrated as the SECOND MOST INFLUENTIAL automotive blog in the world by NFC Performance.