Xiaomi partners with Daniel Arsham to convert its latest international model, Xiaomi 12T Pro Daniel Arsham Edition, into an iconic design collision of the past, present, and future inside a modern artefact, bridging the realms of sculpture and today’s ultimate commodity, the smartphone.
For the first time, Daniel Arsham tries with generating the textures of his sculptural propositions of obsolescence and natural erosions using a smartphone, inspired by his “Future Archeological” style.
A timeless object of fictional archaeology outside of a museum or gallery is conceived, from the sculptural box to the tactical and physical feel of the Xiaomi piece itself, by creating and exploring new perspectives from one’s relationship with their most personal and engaging contemporary device of daily use.
“I’m always interested in bringing my work into arenas outside the typical artworld scenario. I approached the Xiaomi 12T Pro as a sculpture with a purpose outside of it as a functional object; in 20 years people who have this phone will no longer use it as a phone but as a sculptural object, linked to a particular moment in time and carrying it beyond its functionality.”
– Daniel Arsham
“Daniel’s work often plays with the concept of time, both future and history. As a company with innovation at its core, time is our most valued asset, and it is what we are willing to exchange for quality and technology. This collaboration is not only a smartphone, but advanced technology used to actualize the artist’s design. We believe it will be an exciting product for people today, and remain an interesting and collectible piece for decades to come.”
– Xiaomi
This cooperation, aimed at an envisioned future of digital dematerialisation, is driven by Xiaomi’s fundamental principles of innovation, design, and manufacturing, and moulded by Daniel Arsham’s zeitgeist in a fictional archaeological vision.
Xiaomi 12T Pro Daniel Arsham Edition will be available in a limited 2000 device quantity in Europe. The collaboration will release December 16th, 2022 and be available on highsnobiety.com as exclusive online retail partner, mi.com and in the dedicated Xiaomi x Daniel Arsham Berlin pop-up store from December 16th until December 17th.