+   Flaga, 1972-2000 , 2002. Italian-Polish Fiat.

British-born, Berlin-based artist Simon Starling's sculptures—an Eames chair made out of a Marin Sausalito bicycle; a Fiat built in Turin, driven to Poland, and reconfigured with Polish parts—arrive as the final outcomes of processes that encompass research, travel, and seemingly absurd personal initiative. By mapping the complex, interconnected physical and cultural trajectories of an object, Starling addresses issues of politics and nationality and investigates the failed progressive ideals of twentieth-century design. Starling is the recipient of the 2005 Turner Prize, Britain's most prestigious award for contemporary art.

+   Tabernas Desert Run , 2004. Top: Fuel-cell-powered bicycle. Bottom: Watercolor on paper.