The current “Design Legends” exhibition at the Audi museum mobile is getting a deeper dive next week with a special lecture examining one of the most important tools in automotive design: clay modeling.
Scheduled for June 16, Audi Design exterior project manager Eike Aden will present 60 Years of Clay Modeling at Audi Design, tracing the evolution of the practice from the mid-1960s to today. The presentation begins at 6:00 p.m. and is being held in conjunction with the museum’s ongoing Design Legends special exhibition.
The topic is particularly fitting given the role clay modeling played during a pivotal moment in Audi history. In the 1960s, Auto Union GmbH faced an uncertain future, but development of the first-generation Audi 100 helped change the company’s trajectory. Before the production car reached showrooms, its form was shaped through a physical design model, an early example of how clay became an essential part of Audi’s design process.
While digital modeling, simulation and virtual development tools now dominate much of the design workflow, physical clay models remain a critical step in evaluating proportions, surfaces and the way light interacts with a vehicle’s shape. Aden’s lecture will examine how those techniques, along with the materials and tools used by designers, have evolved over the past six decades.
Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to join a guided tour of the Design Legends exhibition, which highlights landmark vehicles and design studies from throughout Audi’s history. Registration for the lecture evening is possible by e-mail to veranstaltungen.museum@audi.de or by telephone at 0841/89-34433. Registration deadline is Monday, 15. June, event starts on Tuesday, 16. June, at 6 p.m., and admission to the lecture evening is from 5.30 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE: It is expected that the lecture will take place in German language.
Admission is free, though advance registration is required. Registration closes June 15 and can be completed through the Audi museum mobile by email or telephone. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. ahead of the lecture’s 6:00 p.m. start.