A down under takeover: Polestar, Highsnobiety and Semi Permanent
In May of 2021, Sydney’s Paramount House Hotel was the site of an unlikely assembly: a robotics engineer-turned-experimental musician, a surfboard shaper, an indigenous culture advocate, an electric performance car brand, and a host of other artists, creatives, and brands.
The Polestar activations looked incredible.
Brought together by Highsnobiety and Semi Permanent, this event was an immersive, diverse experience. Billed as a “vision of the future” as imagined by global artists, designers and creators, Semi Permanent Hotel featured installations, exhibitions, tastings, keynotes, pop-ups, and both live and digital performances.
Polestar’s presence consisted of two features: a design-led AR exhibition exploring Polestar’s sustainability efforts, and a digital performance by Moritz Simon Geist.
Sculptures made of the various materials covered in our LCA report lined the walls. Some of our more experimental material innovations, such as the flax-based composites of Bcomp and the recycled fishing nets which then become Nylon 6, were also on display.
A robotics engineer and classically trained musician, Moritz Simon Geist made a name for himself constructing robots to play compositions and do live performances. Geist assembles these robots in his Dresden workshop, taking part in music festivals, exhibitions, and events such as these.
And his latest work features Polestar 2. Well, parts of it.
Geist took components from Polestar 2 to create music, as well as developing a device that could “extract the electric soul” of Polestar 2 and play it like an instrument. A four-wheeled theremin, of sorts. And though he wasn’t personally in Australia to perform, an exhibition featuring Geist’s digital performance was a highlight of Highsnobiety and Semi Permanent’s two-day event.
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Founded in 2005 in Switzerland by CEO David Fischer, Highsnobiety is a Berlin-based streetwear blog, media brand and production agency. With additional offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, Highsnobiety is a brand focused on the style-conscious individual. “In a world where being culture-obsessed has become the rule (not the exception),” they state, “our mission is to turn curious outsiders into cultivated insiders.” This goal to be inclusive about the exclusive is what leads them to projects such as these, with partners such as Semi Permanent.
A multi-disciplinary experience company, Semi Permanent uses content, production and events to bring brands, audiences and innovators together. Founded and headquartered in Sydney, Semi Permanent has offices in Auckland, Los Angeles, Singapore, Dubai, and Lisbon. With a mission to “enable and facilitate the exchange of creative ideas between talent, community, and brands”, Semi Permanent has been active since 2003.
And based on the response, the event was a success. “A truly inspiring session and experience,” states Universal Music. “I really buy into the Polestar ethos too, a great introduction to the brand and what it stands for.”
“The Polestar activations looked incredible,” says the Art Gallery of NSW. “I think they’re definitely something we could weave parts of into the NFT exhibition.”
Wheels Magazine Australia called it “a brilliant alignment for the Polestar brand, and a particularly impressive execution”.
The takeover of the Paramount House Hotel brought together unlikely collaborators in order to envision the future. Which served as the perfect introduction of a certain electric performance brand to Australia.
