The movers and shakers of the art world will soon converge in Basel for Art Basel, the world's biggest art trade show, being held June 2-5. This year, the event will be supported by the A8 VIP shuttle service for the first time.

Meanwhile, the brand with the four rings will be acting as an automotive sponsor and creative exhibitor for the second time at Design Miami/ Basel.

Design Miami/ founder Ambra Medda first brought major artists and art lovers together for this new project in 2005. The design exhibition has since developed into one of the world's most important and well-known exhibitions for exclusive experimental and contemporary art.

"The character of a new model is determined by its design," said Stefan Sielaff, Head of Audi Design. "As a design brand, it is essential that Audi attends a design exhibition this famous with its own exhibit. Here at Design Miami/ Basel, we designers are in our element."

Audi is well-equipped to present itself within this somewhat unusual terrain: with its extraordinary design, the exhibition booth makes a clear statement about the brand's design philosophy. The presentation centers on the Audi R8 sports car.

The interplay between human creativity and "Vorsprung durch Technik" is the theme of this year's appearance. Eleven photographic artists contributed their personal artworks to the exhibit, including the Swiss duo Fotosolar and well-known German photographer Marcus Gaab. Within the landscape created by the artists, a specially programmed robot will present Audi models. The performance of the robot is contrasted with the creativity of the designer, who creates something new entirely from his or her own ideas.

The Audi table soccer table, developed by Audi Concept Design in Munich, shows that design can be just as fun to play with as it is to look at. As a tribute to the upcoming European Soccer Championship, a tournament between the exhibiting galleries will be held at the exhibit booth. The exhibit's founder, Ambra Medda, and Audi's chief designer Stefan Sielaff will compete in the tournament's opening game at Design Miami/ Basel at 7.15 p.m. on June 2.

Art Basel is the biggest art exhibition for modern design. The nearly 300 participating galleries offer an important selection of works by both established modern artists and rising newcomers.

Design Miami/ is the most famous and extensive art exhibit for international design. It is held twice each year, alternating between Basel in June and Miami in December.