The Art Basel show has a tendency to shine a light on undiscovered artists to give them a chance to become internationally recognized. Most recently, the Art Basel show was held in Hong Kong, featuring many sculptures and installations, one of which being the Beetle Sphere: a 1953 Volkswagen Beetle compressed into a large, yellow ball.
Courtesy of Ichwan Noor
Courtesy of Ichwan Noor
This iconic car, known by every kid who’s ever had road-trip bruises up and down their arms, was balled up by Indonesian artist Ichwan Noor. Noor, a Jakarta based artist, is not unfamiliar working with automobiles. The Beetle Sphere displayed in the Mondecor Jakarta Gallery booth at Hong Kong is only one of a set of five compressed Volkswagen Beetles, which range from spherical to cubical.
Courtesy of Ichwan Noor
Courtesy of Ichwan Noor
These attention-grabbing orbs are 180cm3 and are a product of Noor’s personal perception towards objects of the “transportation culture.” Beetle Sphere
Courtesy of Ichwan Noor
sits precariously in its display due to its redefined shape; it was created out of junk parts from 1953 models of Volkswagen Beetles, combined with polyester and aluminum, and then painted and shined up to look hot-off-the-press.
This sculpture was sold almost instantly for $88,000, according to the Japan Times. Search for the Beetle Sphere on My Modern Met, This Is Colossal.com, Juxtapoz, Mashable, Twisted Sifter, and The Verge.com to see it for yourself!
Project info :
Designer : Ichwan Noor
Year : 2013
Materials : Aluminium, polyester, auto paint and parts from a 1953 VW beetle
Size : 70 9/10 × 70 9/10 × 70 9/10 in | 180 × 180 × 180 cm
Anastasia Andreieva is an accomplished Architectural Projects Editor at Arch2O, bringing a unique blend of linguistic expertise and design enthusiasm to the team. Born and raised in Ukraine, she holds a Master’s degree in Languages from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her deep passion for architecture and visual storytelling led her to transition from translation and editorial roles into the world of design media. With a keen eye for conceptual clarity and narrative structure, Anastasia curates and presents global architectural projects with precision and flair. She is particularly drawn to parametric and digital design, cultural context, and emerging voices in architecture. When I’m not analyzing the latest architectural trends, you’ll probably find me searching for hidden gems in cityscapes or appreciating the beauty of well-crafted spaces. After all, great design—like great connections—can be found in the most unexpected places. Speaking of connections, because architecture isn’t the only thing that brings people together.