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When Art Meets Transport: Stylish Bikes Inspired by Works of Art

09.02.15 | By
When Art Meets Transport: Stylish Bikes Inspired by Works of Art

To celebrate their 100th birthday, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) teamed up with Handsome Cycles to create three different bicycles customized to look like famous paintings from the MIA.

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Bike #1 was inspired by Hans Ledwinka’s Tatra’s 1948  T-87 four door sedan. Taking cues from the car’s smooth, curvy lines and striking front lights, the bike as a front hub dynamo powered classic front light, honey saddle, and matching cognac-colored bar tape.

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Bike #2 features delicate brush strokes and the colors of the golden fields in France. Inspired by Claude Monet’s Grainstack, Sun in the Mist painting, this bike is all about maintaining a delicacy that’s found in Monet’s art. The frame of the bike is simple to exemplify the rural and natural feel.

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Graphic shapes and bold colors characterize Bike #3 (featured photo), which gives nod to the 1969 Frank Stella, Tahkt-i-Sulayman, Variation II. To capture the essence of the painting, this bike’s motto is “What you see is what you get.” Everything is out on display and nothing is hidden. Simple yet bright, it’s the most playful of all the bikes.

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While those three bikes are not for sale, the MIA continued to celebrate their 100th year with commemorative bikes to benefit the institute. Available for purchase, these modern bikes come in black or white with a sophisticated frame.

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After surviving a quarter life crisis, Nanette went from working in healthcare canadian meds to pursuing her loves of design, food and writing. During the day she works in social media marketing, by night she writes for Design Milk. You can find more of her work at nanettewong.com.