Berlin based artist Eike König reimagines custom VanMoof e-bikes
This weekend during the ‘Pitstop: Pleasure’ pop-up at The Ground Festival in Berlin, graphic designer Eike König hand paints limited-edition e-bikes that evoke the pleasures of Berlin.
Berlin, July 7 2022 - Today, VanMoof reveals a series of customized e-bikes designed by acclaimed Berlin-based artist, Eike König. König is hand painting the VanMoof e-bikes live at The Ground Festival, starting today at Messe Berlin. The bikes will feature his recognizable bold graphics, while the art explores the pure joy you experience when riding around the city on a VanMoof.
Pitstop: Pleasure
Known as the hedonistic capital of Europe, it’s no wonder that the city of Berlin and VanMoof’s e-bikes are a perfect match. König’s creative work in collaboration with VanMoof hones in on this connection, depicting the bike as the tool to unlock the real pleasures of the city. His designs bring to life what it means to be at one with the city in a way that can only be experienced while riding a bike.
Eike König
Eike König is a world-renowned graphic designer, founder, and creative director of the Berlin creative collective, HORT. In his works, he explores complex themes such as gentrification, globalization, and consumption by reducing them to buzzwords that are open to interpretation and invite discussion.
But how does Eike feel when he’s riding?
“When I’m riding my VanMoof, I feel uniquely connected to my city. It’s the smells, the sounds, the people that make Berlin and give it character. Only when you’re riding do you truly get that. I’m excited that more and more Berliners are trading four wheels for two.”
Customized bikes available via raffle
Hand-customized e-bikes and limited edition apparel are both available at the co-created event space at The Ground Festival. Eike König is on site during the three-day festival running from July 7-9 at Berlin Messe, where he can be seen hand painting a limited series of VanMoof e-bikes. The bikes will be raffled until July 16 to fans here as well as via Eike König and the brand's social media.
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About Eike König
Born and raised in 1970s West Germany, Eike König now calls Berlin his home. He grew up in a politically active family, which drove him to pursue graphic design at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, before joining Logic Records in Frankfurt where he worked as an art director for several years. His independent studio Hort emerged in 1994 from that same techno scene he’s explored during his times at Logic Records. König is famous for his bold prints, politically charged messages that raise discourse rather than giving answers. The studio has grown exponentially in the years since, working with clients including Nike, MoMA, Bauhaus Dessau.
About VanMoof
VanMoof was founded in 2009 by Taco and Ties Carlier, two Dutch brothers who dreamt up the perfect city bike. Today, its sleek, multi-award winning e-bikes offer a high-tech and feature-rich experience for a global community of almost 200,000 riders (and counting) worldwide. And the e-bike pioneers are just getting started. As the world’s fastest growing and most well funded e-bike brand, Vanmoof is on course to redefine the future of urban mobility and get the next billion on bikes.VanMoof sells its e-bikes directly to consumers online, with Brand Stores in over 20 cities worldwide, from Paris and New York, to San Francisco and Tokyo. Its ever-expanding service network of Service Hubs and certified workshops spans across 50 cities.
About The Ground
The Ground is a completely new festival format where the best of fashion, lifestyle, culture, and diverse perspectives come together. The Ground was founded to bring brands and consumers together to build a better future through celebration and collective action. Over three days in July, guests from across Germany and beyond meet to experience innovative brand PopUps, panel talks, live music, physical and mental health activations, and even step inside the Metaverse. Taking place simultaneously as trade show and conference formats Seek, Premium, and FashionTech — which will attract over 20,000 buyers, retailers, brands, professionals, influencers, and media to Berlin — The Ground helps bringinging the fashion buzz back to the capital.