This special Wilier 0 SLR Unico is an artistic ode to cycling and freedom

French artist Koralie has created her latest piece of art on the canvas of Wilier Triestina's Wilier 0 SLR frame in a realm where art and sport intersect - a pretty busy intersection at that. In the last decade or so, we have seen some very famous artist and big bike brand collaborations, take for example Shepard Fairey (and others) with Trek (most notably on various Tour de France bikes for he who must not be named), Damian Hirst's Butterfly bike, 'the most expensive bike in the world', and more recently Stella MacCartney turned her hand to some bike art with Cannondale.

But back to Koralie and Wilier, their collaboration is part of Wilier's "Unico" project, which says Wilier, aims to transcend the boundaries between original artistic inspiration and a passion for cycling, will it improve your ride? Only aesthetically, and to be fair getting the aesthetics right is a big consideration for many cyclists. 

Koralie is not the first artist to use a Wilier Triestina bike as the basis of an artwork. Several other artists have also contributed to Wiliers mission to "get sport and art to communicate" through the Unico Project in recent years: Italian street artist Yama painted on a Wilier Turbine, while American artist Dustin Klein designed a new look for a Wilier Jena  – using the dipped transfer technique (similar to that used by Festka on their Ondrash and Kasparek collab), and Japanese artist, Jun Inoue re-imagined the Wilier Filante SLR as an artistic tribute to Shimano Dura Ace 12-spd. 

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If you are not familiar with Koralie's work, she is a plastician artist, who according to her website "likes to break down borders by mixing elements of these different origins, traditional and contemporary, and wishes to create a dreamlike multicultural harmony". She's exhibited around the world and continues to work on different platforms. 

Hailing from picturesque Provence, Koralie has now, woven the essence of her upbringing into the fabric of the Wilier 0 SLR Unico frame, which pays homage to the iconic French coastline and offers a glimpse of the legendary Mont Ventoux, also known as the "Giant of Provence."

Her work on the Unico project brings together elements of her Provençal heritage and the influences of her current home, Biarritz. The azures of the Atlantic coast and the silhouette of the Pyrenees are central in Koralie's intricate drawings and works, and create a visual narrative that Wilier hopes resonates with cyclists worldwide.

Everyone's reaction to a piece of art is going to be different, one of the things that make art art, but to our eye, there's no doubt that Koralie has produced a very beautiful bike frame and we're not going to argue that blue does indeed carry echoes of the azure skies of Provence and her home in Biarritz. Although she probably sees a bit less azure sky on France's Atlantic coast, even that far south. Koralie's use of blue on the Wilier 0 SLR is very much in keeping with a lot of her other work which no matter what your reaction to this Wilier, is well worth checking out.

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The Unico frame not only attempts to capture the scenic beauty of Provence and the Atlantic coast but also embodies the dual pleasure of cycling –  from carefree rides along the seaside to the challenge of historic Tour de France routes. According to Wilier, "There lies the freedom of cycling: the ability to decide just how far we wish to challenge ourselves today. This is the sense that Koralie wishes to convey with her Unico frame: a free, glittering encounter between art and cycling in the heart of France’s most beautiful landscapes."

Inspired to get one of these beautiful frames for yourself? Well, you can, if you're quick and have the cash. As with all Wilier Unico bikes, the Koralie Wilier’s Unico is limited in numbers and only 100 individually numbered 0 SLR Unico x Koralie framesets will be produced in the Wilier paint shop. If you're interested, you have only until December 31st to place an order. And the price? The Unico Koralie finish adds an extra 2000€ to the 5000€ Wilier 0SLR frame kit, meaning that the total price would be around £6,000. 

If you rather get the bike fully built, Complete Wilier 0 SLR Unico Koralie options start at 11,400€ (with Ultegra Di2 or Force AXS drivetrains), and if you have 14,500€ (£12,400) you can get one with Campagnolo's latest Super Record Wireless groupset.

Let us know what you think about this work of art frame! And make sure to also check out our other Bike at Bedtime features…