Mercedes-Benz is bringing innovation from the roads into the gallery. From January 25 to March 22, 2025, Studio Odeonsplatz in Munich will host “PROTOTYPE – An Exhibition of the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection,” a show where art and technology intersect in surprising ways. Curated by Christopher Dake-Outhet, it features six international artists, each exploring the concept of the prototype — that intriguing, exciting space between vision and reality where experiments are born.
A prototype is more than just a draft or a model. It’s a mindset. It’s where ideas come to life for the first time, where creators have the freedom to fail, refine, and push boundaries. Mercedes-Benz has operated in that space for decades with its concept cars — designs that often never reach production but still influence the vehicles we drive years later. At PROTOTYPE, this spirit is brought to life through art, reminding visitors that imagination is just as important as the finished product.
The exhibition isn’t about gazing at static objects on walls. Instead, it’s immersive, featuring works that feel alive: an experimental video game that doubles as art, blockchain-based projects that question digital ownership, and visual installations that respond to something as simple and human as breath. Like concept cars, these works don’t claim to be finished — they’re moments of potential, still evolving.
For Mercedes-Benz, this isn’t just about placing a logo on an art show. The brand’s art collection has long served as a means of fostering dialogue between culture, design, and society. PROTOTYPE continues that tradition by pairing avant-garde artworks with scale models of futuristic vehicles, emphasising that innovation isn’t limited to one realm. Whether in a studio or an engineering lab, progress always comes from experimentation.
Walking through the space, visitors aren’t just spectators. They become part of the experiment, shaping meaning through interaction and reflection. Much like drivers testing ideas behind concept cars, every person who engages with the exhibition influences how these works are understood. It’s unfinished—that’s the point.
What makes PROTOTYPE so captivating is how effortlessly it bridges two worlds that don’t often intersect: art and automobiles. However, the connection becomes clear once you see it — both rely on risk, creativity, and a willingness to imagine a different future. Place a Mercedes-Benz concept model beside a piece of living digital art, and suddenly it’s evident: prototypes are where the future starts.
