Munich/Cape Town. Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) and BMW present “Turning Towards the Sun” an exhibition bringing together six artists and filmmakers to explore moving image and collective learning practices on the Continent: Ethiopian director Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop, Kenyan multidisciplinary artist Jim Chuchu, Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, African-American poet Robin Coste Lewis, and British interdisciplinary artist collective The Otolith Group. The exhibition will be on view from 11 December 2026 to 15 August 2027 on Level 4 of the Museum.

The catalyst for this continental project and exhibition was Julie Mehretu’s nomination as the artist for the BMW Art Car #20 that will be on display in Zeitz MOCAA’s Atrium Bowl for the duration of the exhibition. Inspired by Arundhati Roy’s 2020 reflection that “the pandemic is a portal”, Mehretu approached this commission as a way of constructing portals into new worlds shaped by Pan-African perspectives and brought to life by the histories and futures of Pan-African cinema.Together with filmmaker Mehret Mandefro and late Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA Koyo Kouoh, Mehretu began constructing these gateways through the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) and a series of five inter-continental workshops – held in Lagos, Nigeria; Tangier, Morocco; Nairobi, Kenya; Dakar, Senegal; and Cape Town, South Africa – led by artists, including several participating in the exhibition.

Julie Mehretu reflects: “For me, the idea of a portal is about opening up possibilities – creating space to imagine beyond the worlds we have inherited. African cinema holds an extraordinary history of artists using the moving image to document and reimagine their realities. Through AFMAC, we create opportunities for artists to encounter one another, and to explore what could emerge when these histories and perspectives come into conversation.”

Peter van Binsbergen, Chairman and CEO of BMW South Africa: “For more than 50 years, BMW has been committed to culture, with the BMW Art Cars at the heart of this engagement. ‘Turning Towards the Sun’ demonstrates the catalytic power of artistic freedom: what began with Julie Mehretu’s vision for her BMW Art Car #20 has evolved into a wider platform for artistic exchange and collaboration across the African continent. Cultural engagement also has a strong tradition for BMW in South Africa, not least through our partnership with Zeitz MOCAA since the museum’s founding.”

Inspired by the ideals of Pan-African solidarity and post-liberation visions, the exhibition presents video installations which look at cultural manifestations of women's rage; the complexities of Black queer masculinities on the Continent; the youth’s experiences of complicated political moments; as well as African cosmo-technics and the expanded field of animation through the literature of Nigerian author Amos Tutuola. The exhibition also includes a history of cultural institutions on the Continent and figures who have championed Africa as a generative site of knowledge production within the field of filmmaking.

Zeitz MOCAA Assistant Curator Khanyi Mawhayi remarks: “The exhibition asks, ‘How do we build sustainable Pan-African social and pedagogical infrastructures between artists and institutions in Africa?’ ‘Turning Towards the Sun’ is an invitation to think expansively about cinema and its related pedagogies; to trace networks of solidarity across Africa and embrace the generosity that emerges when we imagine people as the infrastructure that sustains film and cinema on the Continent.”

The title of the exhibition takes its cue from a quote by Ousmane Sembène in the 1983 documentary Twenty Years of African Cinema (Caméra d’Afrique) by Tunisian filmmaker Ferid Boughedir. When questioned on Europe’s reading of his films, Sembène insists he does not concern himself with European understandings of his films, asserting, “Why should I be like a sunflower turning towards the sun? I, myself, am the sun.” This exhibition recontextualises his statement to propose that attention to filmmaking from Africa and its diaspora represents a turning towards the sun. In this context, the sun is the artistic knowledge and cultural production emerging from the African continent and its global diaspora, namely, the Black geographies that exist and inhabit multiple regions of the world.

“Turning Towards the Sun” forms part of Zeitz MOCAA’s ongoing series of in-depth, research-driven exhibitions that centre and contextualise the practices of significant artists from Africa and its diaspora, while engaging with pivotal themes in Pan-African history. Extending beyond the Continent’s borders, this programme embraces historic and new connections, positioning Africa in a global context and the world within Africa. The exhibition is in partnership with BMW and is part of the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) project.

“Turning Towards the Sun” is curated by Zeitz MOCAA Assistant Curator Khanyi Mawhayi, with support from Dr Phokeng Setai and Dr Greer Valley, and assistance from Angela Muritu, Inshaaf Jamodien, Evyn Banawoye and Reem Aljeally. Its geographic scope spans what Koyo Kouoh called the “wider Black geographies of the twenty-first century”.

As a Pan-African and pan-diasporic institution, Zeitz MOCAA remains committed to presenting and preserving contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, advancing art historical knowledge, supporting artists and strengthening its education programmes, while ensuring access for all.

Zeitz MOCAA’s curatorial and exhibition programming is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation and BMW South Africa.

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.

Johannesburg. Presented by BMWs South Africa in collaboration with FNB Art Joburg, The BMW Art Generation Vol. IV brings together some of the most significant and compelling voices in contemporary African and diasporic art. Held together by an exhibition parallel to a public programme including talks and music, this year’s volume unfolds across The BMW Art Haus in Parktown North and the MAX section at FNB Art Joburg’s 19th edition.

Together, the two sites form one exhibition that moves across the city, enabling audiences to encounter the work within the intimate setting of The BMW Art Haus alongside the energy, exchange and scale of the continent’s leading contemporary African art fair.

At the heart of this year’s edition is From Whose Waters Do We Drink?, a framework conceptualised by Kim Kandan. The framework invites audiences to consider the knowledge systems, references and inheritances that shape how we understand the world while thinking more deeply about where knowledge comes from, who carries it and how it continues to evolve.

Rather than treating indigenous knowledge systems as something belonging only to the past, the exhibition considers the ways these systems remain present, active and generative within contemporary life and artistic practice. Across the exhibition, participating artists respond to questions of memory, place, identity, transmission and ways of knowing, creating a space where different histories and perspectives exist in conversation.

The result is a multi-layered experience that is as much about gathering and exchange as it is about looking at art. During the opening weekend, visitors can move between exhibitions, conversations, books, food, wine and music, spending time with the ideas and people who shape this year’s edition.

The exhibition features Professor Berni Searle, Bronwyn Katz, Cheriese Maharaj, donna Kukama, Dr George Mahashe, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi, Kamil Hassim, Kamva Matuis, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Lady Skollie, Lebohang Kganye, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum, Paulo Nazareth, Portia Zvavahera, Robin Rhode, Simnikiwe Buhlungu and Yinka Shonibare.

An extension of BMW Collectors Co.’s commitment to building meaningful relationships between audiences, artists and ideas, The BMW Art Generation reflects BMW South Africa’s longstanding engagement with contemporary culture and its belief in creating spaces for cultural dialogue. Its presentation alongside FNB Art Joburg further connects the platform to the fair’s commitment to developing African art ecosystems and creating opportunities for audiences to encounter artists and practices from across the continent.

^{A weekend of art, ideas, food and music}

The BMW Art Generation Vol. IV opens at The BMW Art Haus on Saturday, 29 August and Sunday, 30 August 2026, with a programme designed to encourage audiences to spend the day moving between the two sites looking, listening, thinking and connecting.

Doors open at 11:00, with the opening weekend programme beginning with a guided walkabout through From Whose Waters Do We Drink? at The BMW Art Haus at 12:00. The walkabout will unpack how participating artists respond to this year’s conceptual framework and engage with indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary contexts.

At 13:00 and 15:00, thought-provoking conversations will explore the ideas, histories and questions at the heart of From Whose Waters Do We Drink?, featuring leading voices from across the continent.

Throughout the day, a reading room and bookstore by Jonathan Ball will offer a carefully selected library of literary titles that expands on the exhibition, its artists and the ideas shaping this year’s edition.

There will also be moments to pause and connect. Between exhibitions and conversations, audiences can gather over exceptional local cuisine, South Africa’s finest Methode Cap Classique and wine, as well as the company of fellow thinkers, artists and enthusiasts.

Music forms the final chapter of each day, with the programme running from 16:00 to 20:00. DJ sets and a headline performance will carry the spirit of The BMW Art Generation into the evening. Thando Zide will headline Saturday’s programme, while Nduduzo Makhathini will headline Sunday’s.

The BMW Art Haus opens for free viewing

Following the opening weekend, The BMW Art Haus will reopen from 3 to 6 September 2026, offering audiences the opportunity to experience The BMW Art Generation Vol. IV: From Whose Waters Do We Drink? at their own pace.

During this period, entry to The BMW Art Haus is free, allowing visitors to return to the exhibition, spend more time with individual works and revisit the questions and conversations that continue to take place beyond the opening weekend.

Tickets and reservations for The BMW Art Generation are available here: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/the-bmw-art-generation-2026

Entry to FNB Art Joburg is ticketed separately and can be accessed here: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/fnb-art-joburg-2026

Johannesburg. BMW South Africa, in partnership with FNB Art Joburg, presents The BMW Art Generation Vol. IV. Taking place from 28 August to 6 September 2026, under the theme From Whose Waters Do We Drink?, this year’s programme opens a new dialogue on contemporary African art through a layered two-part exhibition and a considered series of public engagements.

Through its focus on contemporary African art, The BMW Art Generation creates space for intergenerational learning, cultural exchange and meaningful public engagement. Rooted in the educational vision of the BMW Collectors Co., the initiative reflects BMW South Africa’s commitment to culture through knowledge-sharing, relationship-building and sustained patronage. Across nine days, the programme unfolds through exhibitions, talks, performances, guided walkabouts and educational encounters, each offering audiences unique and inspiring opportunities to engage with the dynamic world of contemporary African art.

"At BMW, we believe art has the power to connect people, open new perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world around us," says Taz Ramphisa, General Manager: Customer & Brand of BMW South Africa. "The BMW Art Generation reflects our commitment to creativity, cultural exchange and meaningful engagement with contemporary African art. By creating spaces for discovery, reflection and exchange, we aim to support the ideas, voices and practices that continue to shape the continent’s cultural landscape."

The BMW Art Generation forms part of BMW’s broader commitment to culture, expressed through long-standing collaborations and initiatives that support artistic practice, creative innovation and the exchange of ideas. Through platforms such as The BMW Art Generation and its partnership with FNB Art Joburg, this commitment continues by creating meaningful points of connection with contemporary African art.

Now in its fourth year, The BMW Art Generation shows how BMW South Africa has grown its support for culture. It builds on years of talking, learning and sharing ideas, and now offers a complete exhibition programme.

This continued development reflects a form of cultural patronage that supports artistic practice while creating new ways for audiences to encounter, engage with and deepen their understanding of contemporary African art.

From Whose Waters Do We Drink? explores Indigenous Knowledge Systems as living and evolving frameworks through which knowledge is inherited, shared and renewed. Through the exhibition and its public programme, the project considers how memory, community and artistic practice shape the ways we understand the present and imagine the future.

The exhibition unfolds across two interconnected chapters. Opening at The BMW Art Haus in Parktown North is the dedicated venue for The BMW Art Generation. It transforms a domestic setting into a space of artistic exploration, reflection and learning.

It then continues with a curated presentation within the MAX section at FNB Art Joburg, extending the conversation into one of Africa’s leading contemporary art fairs. Together, these two sites create a connected journey, moving audiences from an intimate space of reflection into a broader public encounter with contemporary African art.

The BMW Art Generation Vol. IV brings together artists whose practices engage with questions about history, identity, memory and alternative futures. The programme uses installation, photography, sculpture, performance, moving images and research-driven approaches to highlight contemporary African art as an essential platform for critical thought and forward-looking creativity.

"The BMW Art Generation has always been about more than introducing people to contemporary African art. It is about creating conditions for meaningful engagement. Every encounter contributes to an ecosystem where knowledge is shared across generations, and collecting begins with understanding. This year’s theme invites us to reflect not only on what we know, but where that knowledge comes from and how we ensure it continues to flow into the future," says Mandla Sibeko, Director of FNB Art Joburg.

The BMW Art Generation Vol. IV takes place from 28 August to 6 September 2026, beginning at The BMW Art Haus one week ahead of the 19th edition of FNB Art Joburg before continuing as a two-part exhibition with a major presentation in the fair’s MAX section. Further announcements, including participating artists, public programming and visitor information, will be released in the coming weeks.

Cape Town/Munich. As part of Julie Mehretu’s ongoing BMW Art Car project, the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) was launched in April 2025 by the internationally renowned painter in collaboration with Emmy-nominated film producer Mehret Mandefro and the BMW Group. The initiative brings together artists and filmmakers from across Africa and the diaspora to explore new forms of creation and cultural dialogue in workshops led by internationally renowned artists.

From January 27–31, 2026, AFMAC will host its final workshop in Cape Town, following successful sessions in Lagos, Tangier, Nairobi, and Dakar. For this closing edition, London-based The Otolith Group—founded in 2002 by Anjalika Sagar and Kodwo Eshun—will lead the workshop. Known for their interdisciplinary approach spanning film, installation, and performance, their work investigates histories of science fiction and global cultural legacies. Through research-driven art, they aim to spark public dialogue and connect theory, practice, and exhibition. Titled African Cosmotechnics: Animation, Animism, Abstraction, Automotion, Automation, Aesthetics their workshop program brings artists, writers, theorists, animators, theatre-makers, and filmmakers together to approach animation not only as technique or as genre, but as a way of rethinking the relations between images, sounds, and voices. It is not intended as a technical workshop for producing animation but for rethinking what animation could, might, or should be.

AFMAC and its local partner in Cape Town, Chimurenga, offer a public screening of Infinity Minus Infinity with an ensuing art talk with The Otolith Group on January 31, 2026, at 7.30pm. The 2019 video work is an audiovisual performance combining dance, music, spoken word, and animation to reflect on how historical racism and colonialism continue to shape today’s social and environmental crises.

Chimurenga is a platform for African ideas and cultural production, founded by Ntone Edjabe in Cape Town in 2002. The aim of Chimurenga’s activities is not just to produce new knowledge, but to express the intensities of our world, to capture those forces, and to take action. Chimurenga publishes “Chimurenga Magazine”, the quarterly broadsheet “The Chronic”, and curates the Chimurenga Library—an evolving archive reimagining African knowledge systems.

Cape Town also hosts the project’s culmination: the exhibition “Scaling Intentions” at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, from December 11, 2026 to August 15, 2027. Each AFMAC lead artist will present a film inspired by the respective workshop, shown alongside Julie Mehretu’s BMW Art Car #20, a BMW M Hybrid V8 first unveiled at the Centre Pompidou in 2024. The films are intended as an anthology of contemporary African film and media art making.

AFMAC’s mission is to foster sustainable artistic networks and strengthen creative communities across Africa. Through the workshops, participants explore cultural heritage, identity, and experimentation using archival African film and media materials. They are given the opportunity to develop their own creative approaches for new forms of media art for the future.

“The magic of bringing people together starts with us. AFMAC creates forums for conversations in small, critical masses and surfaces resources to take the next steps. We build on the work of our local cultural partners: They already created a grounded cultural infrastructure, showing that art is not just a nice-to-have but a must-have. The talent and cultural energy emerging from these cities is electric – culture cannot be gated, it will always find a way to be heard,“ says Mehret Mandefro, co-founder of AFMAC.

“At BMW Group South Africa, we see our role as more than mobility, it’s about creating space for connection, conversation and shared progress,” says Thilosh Moodally, Director of Government Affairs and Communications at BMW Group South Africa. “Through initiatives such as AFMAC, we’re proud to support creative communities that amplify African voices, encourage creative freedom and open up meaningful cultural exchange. It’s part of how we show up beyond our products, with people and art at the centre of this project, we ensure that we build more than just cars, we build communities”.

Get deeper insights into AFMAC on the website www.afmac.institute, via Instagram at @a.f.m.a.c. or tune into Julie Mehretu’s interview on CNN African Voices.

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and deeper

insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.

African Film and Media Arts Collective – Past and future stations

April 2025: Lagos, Nigeria, in partnership with Angels & Muse

Lead artist: Coco Fusco

July 2025: Tangier, Morocco, in partnership with Cinematheque de Tanger

Lead artist: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari

October 2025: Nairobi, Kenya, in partnership with Docubox

Lead artists: Jim Chuchu and Wanuri Kahiu

December 2025: Dakar, Senegal, in partnership with Fanta Sy and Raw Material Company

Lead artist: Mati Diop

January 2026: Cape Town, South Africa, in partnership with Chimurenga 

Lead artist: The Otolith Group

11 December 2026 – 15 August 2027: Final exhibition at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), Cape Town, South Africa

Biographies of the founders and Cape Town lead artists

Julie Mehretu is a world-renowned American artist, born in Addis Ababa in 1970. Mehretu’s practice in painting, drawing and printmaking engages the viewer in a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience. Notable accolades include the MacArthur Award, the US Department of State Medal of Arts Award, and, in 2025, she was awarded the rank of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. Her work has been exhibited widely at museums, biennials and galleries around the globe. Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Design and the National Academy of Sciences in Ethiopia. She sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art, is a trustee and alumna of the American Academy in Berlin, a Global Council Member at Zeitz MOCAA, and is co-founder and board member of Denniston Hill. Mehretu lives and works in New York City.

Mehret Mandefro is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and serial entrepreneur born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her body of work explores hidden truths and spans documentary and fiction, film and television, art and science. She co-founded the multi-media production company Truth Aid Media and founded the research enterprise Truth Aid Impact, A51 Pictures in Ethiopia, as well as the Realness Institute in South Africa. She was formerly the Executive Producer of Kana Television in Ethiopia and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.

The Otolith Group was founded in London in 2002 by curators and artists Anjalika Sagar, born 1968, and Kodwo Eshun, born 1967 both in London. The artist-led collective follows a research-based work that spans across moving images, audio, performance, and installations and engages with post-human discourses, building intergenerational and cross-cultural platforms.

Biographies of further lead artists

Jim Chuchu is a singer, songwriter, music producer, director, photographer, and visual artist. He helped establish the Nest Collective, a multidisciplinary art space and artists’ collective in Nairobi. His first short film “Homecoming” was featured at various film festivals from Durban to Locarno. Chuchu’s photography series “Pagans” was highlighted at Dak’Art 2014, the 11th edition of Africa’s longest running biennial of contemporary art.

Robin Coste Lewis, born in 1964 in Compton, California, is the author of “Voyage of the Sable Venus” (2015), which won the National Book Award for Poetry. The former poet laureate of Los Angeles, Lewis holds a PhD in Poetry and Visual Studies from the University of Southern California, an MFA in poetry from New York University, an MTS in Sanskrit and comparative religious literature from the Divinity School at Harvard University, and a BA from Hampshire College in post-colonial literature and creative writing. Her work has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Transition, and The Massachusetts Review. Lewis has taught at Hampshire College, Hunter College, Wheaton College, and the NYU Low-Residency MFA in Paris. She is currently writer in residence at the University of Southern California.

Mati Diop is a French-Senegalese filmmaker born in Paris in 1982. With her first feature film, “Atlantics“ (2019), which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival followed by “Dahomey“ (2024) awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, (both shortlisted at the Oscars), she has established herself as one of the leading figures of international auteur cinema and a new wave in African and diasporic cinema.

Coco Fusco born in 1960 in New York City is a video and performance artist. With her multidisciplinary practice, Fusco explores the ways that intercultural dynamics affect the construction of the self and ideas about cultural otherness. Her work is in the collections of major museums worldwide and she received numerous awards.

Wanuri Kahiu is an award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and science fiction writer. Her film, “Rafiki,“ was the first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes, earning global recognition. Named one of TIME’s 100 Next in 2019, she is a cultural leader for the World Economic Forum and an advocate for freedom of expression. Through AFROBUBBLEGUM, Kahiu champions fun, fierce and frivolous African art. She directed “Washington Black” for Hulu/20th Century Fox, Netflix’s “Look Both Ways,” and is set to direct Disney’s “Once on This Island”.

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, born in 1974, is an Ethiopian filmmaker and co-founder of A51 Pictures. He is notable as the director of the critically acclaimed films “Difret” (winner of Sundance and Berlinale Panorama Audience Awards) and “Sweetness in the Belly”. Apart from cinema, he co-founded and served as the Head of Original Content for Kana Television, the largest free-to-air, private satellite entertainment TV channel in Ethiopia.

Johannesburg. Following the successful BMW Art Generation Vol. III experience at NIROX on 30 August, BMW Group South Africa is proud to serve as the Official Vehicle Partner of FNB Art Joburg, taking place from 4–7 September 2025. This partnership underscores BMW’s enduring commitment to the global arts landscape, building on five decades of the iconic BMW Art Car series and cultural initiatives.

Celebrating 50 Years of BMW Art Cars

Since its inception in 1975, the BMW Art Car Collection has featured works from some of the world’s most acclaimed artists, including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, and Ólafur Elíasson.

In 1991, Esther Mahlangu became the first African artist, and the first woman, to design a BMW Art Car, a historic moment that merged African heritage with contemporary automotive design. Her contribution remains a living tribute to her cultural legacy and BMW’s global vision for innovation through art.

This milestone also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the BMW 3 Series, further highlighting BMW’s tradition of design, craftsmanship, and cultural expression.

Immersive Experience at FNB Art Joburg

BMW’s booth at the Sandton Convention Centre will transform into an immersive storytelling hub, celebrating five decades of the BMW Art Cars. Johannesburg takes its place on the global stage as part of the ever-expanding BMW Art Car World Tour, a journey that will span continents and continue well into 2026. Marking the 50th anniversary of this iconic series, the tour brings together a constellation of exhibitions across five continents, enriched by a vibrant array of events.

At the centre of the installation in Johannesburg are large format works by acclaimed automotive photographer René Staud, who has redefined the way the world sees cars through light and motion. His work traces the journey of the BMW Art Car Collection from the very first Art Car created by Alexander Calder in 1975 (BMW 3.0 CSL) to the most recent, the 20th Art Car by Julie Mehretu (BMW M Hybrid V8). “A photograph of an Art Car is not about chrome or color — it’s about the pleasure to turn speed into poetry,” says René Staud.

Among the 10 featured BMW Art Cars are:

• Roy Lichtenstein / BMW 320 Group 5
• Andy Warhol / BMW M1 Group 4
• Ernst Fuchs / BMW 635 CSi
• Michael Jagamara Nelson / BMW M3 Group A
• César Manrique / BMW 730i

These striking images capture not only the vehicles themselves but also the visionary energy of the artists behind them, positioning BMW’s booth as a gallery of movement, design, and innovation.

Complementing this presentation, BMW will also showcase the BMW Art Guide, alongside Jonathan Ball’s ‘To Paint is in My Heart’ — a richly illustrated exploration of Esther Mahlangu’s life and artistic journey. Together, these works invite visitors to experience the full scope of BMW’s cultural legacy, from archival innovation to contemporary vision.

“BMW is celebrating 50 years of the iconic BMW Art Car Collection in 2025, underscoring our longstanding commitment to merging art, design, and innovation. As both a mobility leader and a cultural partner, we continue to support the arts in South Africa and globally. Through events such as BMW Art Generation and collaborations like BMW Young Collectors Co. and Zeitz MOCCA, we are shaping the future of African art patronage while honouring our legacy” states Taz Ramphisa, General Manager: Customer and Brand, BMW South Africa.

Premium Guest Experiences

As Official Vehicle Partner, BMW will provide chauffeur-driven services for guests, delivering the hallmark BMW experience of comfort, precision, and seamless mobility.

Join Us at FNB Art Joburg

BMW invites art lovers, collectors, and cultural innovators to experience this unique convergence of art, design, and mobility. Visit BMW’s stand at FNB Art Joburg from 4–7 September and stay tuned for exciting announcements in 2026.

Event Details

• VIP Opening: 4 September 2025
• Public Days: 5–7 September 2025
• Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

ENDS

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

BMW Group Cultural Engagement

Why Culture? Why not! Culture is knowledge, a sanctuary of beauty and depth, of meaning and peace. An inspiring escape. Tranquil at best, even unsettling sometimes. As corporate citizen, the BMW Group takes social responsibility seriously, as part of which it has been involved in hundreds of cultural initiatives worldwide for over half a century, both in the arts, music & sound, architecture as well as in design. As a long-term partner, creative freedom is key – and as essential for groundbreaking works as it is for major innovations within a business enterprise like ours.

iFurther information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/overview

Instagram: @BMWGroupCulture

#BMWGroupCulture

The BMW Group

 With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

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Midrand. On August 30, 2025, The BMW Art Generation Vol. III returns to NIROX Sculpture Park with a bold and immersive program focused on celebration, dialogue, and the poetics of possibility. Presented by FNB Art Joburg in partnership with BMW Group South Africa, this third edition deepens its commitment to critical thought and cultural engagement.

This year’s theme, “A Tropology Between Image and Imagination,” explores the narrative power of creative practice. Artists and cultural thinkers come together to investigate how symbolism, gesture, and form serve as tools to reclaim histories and shape speculative futures. Through this lens, the festival underscores imagination as methodology, illuminating African presence in all its complexity and nuance.

Talks Programme

A curated talks programme anchors the day’s intellectual offering:

• Talk I | Image and Imagination
  This panel features acclaimed artists such as Zanele Muholi, examining how image-making becomes a means of resistance, self-authorship, and future-building. The conversation unpacks the frameworks through which artists interpret identity, presence, and cultural mythologies.
• Talk II | Existing, Performance & Being
  Featuring luminaries like Nicholas Hlobo, this conversation responds to Koyo Kouoh’s call for loving and emancipatory depictions of Black experiences. Artists reflect on how performance and representation intersect with history, grief, and joy.

These talks serve as key moments for reflection, offering audiences deeper insight into the artistic processes and lived experiences that shape contemporary art on the continent and beyond.

Music Performances

In addition to the talks and exhibitions, headline musical performances by Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Msaki will bring rhythm and resonance to NIROX Sculpture Park. Their performances weave together heritage and contemporary sound, amplifying the festival’s celebration of African imagination and creativity.

Garden Affirmations

Audiences can also join Muneyi’s Garden Affirmations, an intimate reflective session in the park that blends music, poetry, and affirming dialogue within the natural surrounds of NIROX. This addition offers a grounding moment of connection and mindfulness during the day’s programme.

Community Workshop

The BMW Centre for Art Education will also host a workshop for the Kromdraai community, led by Liesl Hartman, Head of Education at Zeitz MOCAA. This initiative encourages hands-on creativity and fosters intergenerational exchange through artmaking.

Legacy & Vision

At its core, The BMW Art Generation is about legacy-building. Since 2020, BMW and FNB Art Joburg have cultivated a new wave of art patrons through the BMW Young Collectors Co., a community committed to collecting African art and investing in local cultural ecosystems.

Taz Ramphisa, General Manager: Customer and Brand for BMW Group South Africa, notes, “BMW is committed to creativity and innovation within the art world. Art Generation reflects our ongoing support for platforms that shape discourse, nurture talent, and enrich communities.”

Mandla Sibeko, Managing Director of FNB Art Joburg, adds, “Art is a language of meaning, memory, and transformation. Through Art Generation, we honour those who stretch the limits of imagination and visual storytelling.”

The event promises a day of deep engagement with art, imagination, and dialogue, continuing to shape the future of artistic expression on African soil.

Event and Ticket Info

Date: August 30, 2025

Venue: NIROX Sculpture Park

Tickets: R500 (includes access to talks, exhibitions, and all programming)

Book here: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/bmw-art-generation       

Media inquiries: zaza@artjoburg.com

ENDS

Munich. "I wondered how I could make the Art Car a symbol and vocal archive for the immense artistic creativity of the African continent," says Julie Mehretu, describing her ambition for designing the 20th BMW Art Car of the iconic collection. The American abstract painter, born in Ethiopia in 1970, first presented her artistically designed BMW M Hybrid V8 to the public at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in May 2024. After its race deployment in Le Mans a month later, this year marks the next chapter of the project in cooperation with the BMW Group: the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC).

The idea for the pan-African artist network was developed by Julie Mehretu together with her longtime friend, Mehret Mandefro, an Emmy-nominated film producer—also born in Ethiopia and living in the USA—and co-founder of the Realness Institute for the training of African filmmakers. Under the guidance of a group of African and international artists, including French-Senegalese filmmaker and 2024 Berlinale winner Mati Diop, American poet Robin Coste Lewis, and Kenyan performance artist Jim Chuchu, workshops will be held in Lagos, Dakar, Tangier, Nairobi, and Cape Town for around 50 artists. AFMAC will connect with local host cultural institutions on site and workshop participants will be selected through open calls with the partners. The kickoff will take place from April 15–19 in Lagos with the cultural non-profit organization "Angels & Muse".

“BMW is working for the first time in the 50-year history of the BMW Art Car Collection with an artist to develop the idea far beyond the car as a pure art object. This collaboration is particularly close to my heart. It expands BMW’s long-term global commitment in the film sector with an outstanding initiative that stands for exchange, creativity, and cultural diversity—values that we, as a company, also embody,” says Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources, and Real Estate.

Each workshop results in a new film production. Once completed, the films will form an anthology of contemporary African filmmaking, which will complement exhibitions of Mehretu’s 20th BMW Art Car. In 2026, the anthology will debut in a major exhibition dedicated to AFMAC along with the 20th Art Car at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. The curator will be its Executive Director Koyo Kouoh, the designated curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale. The BMW Group has been a partner of the museum for many years, contributing its extensive network of cultural professionals and charitable institutions in Africa to establish AFMAC on a long-term and sustainable basis.

International collaboration and access to African film history
Social engagement and engaging with peers in collectives have always shaped Mehretu's work. In 2004, she founded the artist residency Denniston Hill in North New York with artist Paul Pfeiffer and architectural historian Lawrence Chua. Meant as a place for exchange, reflection, and retreat, artists of various disciplines and backgrounds further develop their practice there. Workshop methods conceived at Denniston Hill form the foundation for AFMAC’s workshops, where artists from various African countries and the global diaspora come together to engage with questions of cultural, political, and historical identity. The forms of experimentation that a translocal collective enables, how cultural and political heritage can be negotiated, and the role different media play in the attribution of identity forms are examined.

Using archival material of African film and media works, participants are given the opportunity to develop their own creative approaches and create new forms of media art. Accordingly, a key component of the workshops is the screening of hard-to-access African films to expand historical and cultural perspectives. The goal is to create sustainable infrastructures that last beyond the workshops and strengthen the artistic community in Africa. A central point of approach is the provision of an online film archive that African artists can continuously work with in the future.

Artist talks and public presentations of AFMAC will also take place outside of Africa in 2025 and 2026. An event calendar and further detailed information, including photo and film material, are available at www.afmac.institute, a digital platform documenting the project and archive for African cinema, created by New York-based creative agency Pacific.

African Film and Media Arts Collective – stations
April 15–19, 2025: Lagos, Nigeria, in partnership with Angels & Muse 
Lead artist: Coco Fusco

June 2–6, 2025: Dakar, Senegal, in partnership with Fanta Sy and Raw Material Company 
Lead artist: Mati Diop

July 2025: Tangier, Morocco, in partnership with Cinematheque de Tanger
Lead artist: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari

October 2025: Nairobi, Kenya, community partner to be determined 
Lead artists: Jim Chuchu and Wanuri Kahiu

December 2025: Cape Town, South Africa, in partnership with Realness Institute 
Lead artist: The Otolith Group

Biographies of the founders and lead artists
Julie Mehretu is a world-renowned American artist, born in Addis Ababa in 1970. Mehretu’s practice in painting, drawing and printmaking engage the viewer in a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience. Notable accolades include The MacArthur Award, The US Department of State Medal of Arts Award, and in 2025, was awarded the rank of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. Her work has been exhibited widely at museums, biennials and galleries around the globe. Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The National Academy of Design and the National Academy of Sciences in Ethiopia. She sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art, is a trustee and alumna of the American Academy in Berlin, a Global Council Member at Zeitz MOCAA, and is co-founder and board member of Denniston Hill. Mehretu lives and works in New York City.

Mehret Mandefro is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and serial entrepreneur born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her body of work explores hidden truths and spans documentary and fiction, film and television, art and science. She co-founded the multi-media production company Truth Aid Media and founded the research enterprise Truth Aid Impact, A51 Pictures in Ethiopia as well as the Realness Institute in South Africa. She was formerly Executive Producer of Kana Television in Ethiopia and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.

Jim Chuchu is a singer, songwriter, music producer, director, photographer, and visual artist. He helped establish the Nest Collective, a multidisciplinary art space and artists’ collective in Nairobi. His first short film “Homecoming” was featured at various film festivals from Durban to Locarno. Chuchu’s photography series “Pagans” was highlighted at Dak’Art 2014, the 11th edition of Africa’s longest running biennial of contemporary art.

Robin Coste Lewis born in 1964 in Compton, California is the author of “Voyage of the Sable Venus” (2015), the winner of National Book Award for Poetry. The former poet laureate of Los Angeles, Lewis holds a PhD in Poetry and Visual Studies from the University of Southern California, an MFA in poetry from New York University, an MTS in Sanskrit and comparative religious literature from the Divinity School at Harvard University, and a BA from Hampshire College in post-colonial literature and creative writing. Her work has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Transition, and The Massachusetts Review. Lewis has taught at Hampshire College, Hunter College, Wheaton College, and the NYU Low-Residency MFA in Paris. She is currently writer in residence at the University of Southern California.

Mati Diop, is a French-Senegalese filmmaker born in Paris in 1982. With her first feature film “Atlantics“ (2019), winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival followed by “Dahomey“ (2024) awarded by The Golden Bear of Berlinale, (both short listed at the Oscars), she has established herself as one of the leading figures of international auteur cinema and a new wave in African and diasporic cinema.

Wanuri Kahiu is an award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and science fiction writer. Her film “Rafiki“ was the first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes, earning global recognition. Named one of TIME’s 100 Next in 2019, she is a cultural leader for the World Economic Forum and an advocate for freedom of expression. Through AFROBUBBLEGUM, Kahiu champions fun, fierce and frivolous African art. She directed “Washington Black” for Hulu/20th Century Fox, Netflix’s “Look Both Ways”, and is set to direct Disney’s “Once on This Island”.

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, born 1974, is an Ethiopian filmmaker and co-founder of A51 Pictures. He is notable as the director of critically acclaimed films “Difret” (Sundance and Berlinale Panorama Audience Award) and “Sweetness in the Belly”. Apart from cinema, he was the co-founder and Head of Original Content for Kana Television, the largest free-to-air, private satellite entertainment TV channel in Ethiopia.

The Otolith Group was founded in London in 2002 by curators and artists Anjalika Sagar, born 1968, and Kodwo Eshun, born 1967 both in London. Their research-based work spans across moving image, audio, performance and installations and engages with post-human discourses building intergenerational and cross-cultural platforms.

Munich. Calder, Lichtenstein, Warhol, Holzer, Hockney, Koons, Rauschenberg, Mahlangu, Eliasson, Baldessari, Cao Fei, Mehretu. For the past 50 years, the BMW Art Car series has provided artists fascinated by automobiles with a perfect playground for art and design, technology and innovation, motorsport and engineering. The collection of 20 BMW Art Cars embodies the essence of global cultural engagement with over one hundred initiatives across contemporary art, music and film, as well as design. The "rolling sculptures" – from Alexander Calder’s first-ever Art Car to Julie Mehretu’s latest – offer a cross-section of art history over the past five decades: minimalism, pop art, magical realism, abstraction, conceptual art and digital art are all represented.

“I love that car. It has turned out better than the artwork.”
Andy Warhol, BMW Art Car #4, 1979

The artists are selected by international juries of museum directors. In close collaboration with the BMW Group’s engineering and design teams, they freely develop their concepts and inspire everyone involved. To mark the 50th anniversary, the BMW Art Car World Tour features an exhibition programme spanning all five continents and including numerous accompanying events.

“The car should not only race in a physical way but also in the heart.”
Cao Fei, BMW Art Car #18, 2016

An anniversary around the world.

"The BMW Art Car Collection celebrates 50 years of artistic freedom and visionary design. The 20 vehicles have become international icons, telling stories of society, technology and performance. Our commitment to art and culture is long-term. We are continuously developing the collection and bringing art and automotive culture together in a unique way," says Ilka Horstmeier, Board Member for Human Resources and Real Estate at BMW Group.

The BMW Art Car World Tour kicks off in Europe and Asia. On 20-21 March, the BMW Art Cars created by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney and Jeff Koons will be on display at the Museum of Applied Arts and the SPARK Art Fair in Vienna for the BMW Group Niederlassung Wien event “(R)Evolution of Art”. The latest and 20th BMW Art Car – the BMW M Hybrid V8 by renowned American painter Julie Mehretu – will embark on an Asian tour and be displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong on 28-30 March.

Mehretu is developing her Art Car project far beyond the vehicle as an object and will host workshops for young film and media artists across five African countries in 2025, together with film producer Mehret Mandefro and the BMW Group. The results of the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) will be presented in 2026 alongside Mehretu's Art Car in an exhibition at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, curated by its Executive Director, Koyo Kouoh, the designated curator of the Venice Biennale 2026.

“The whole BMW Art Car project is about invention, about imagination, about pushing limits of what can be possible.”
Julie Mehretu, BMW Art Car #20, 2024

Important museums and platforms for classic automobiles are also celebrating the milestone anniversary of the BMW Art Cars. The 13th Art Car by Sandro Chia will be showcased at the classic car festival Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como in May. In July and August, the Louwman Museum in The Hague will present eight BMW Art Cars in a special exhibition.

“I also thought it would be nice if women could participate other than standing around in bikinis.”
Jenny Holzer, BMW Art Car #15, 1999

The BMW Museum, the home of the BMW Art Cars when they are not travelling the world, is also honouring the collection by combining two anniversaries in a special exhibition. The BMW 3 Series is also celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, and starting 16 June, the museum will showcase a historical overview of all BMW 3 Series models as well as the BMW M3 Art Cars by Sandro Chia, Michael Jagamara Nelson, and Ken Done.                     

“I think mobile museums would be a good idea. This car is the fulfilment of my dream. I would like to do ten more.”
Robert Rauschenberg, BMW Art Car #6, 1986

New Art Car book, new Art Car model, new Art Car fashion collection.

In addition to the exhibition programme, BMW is releasing various new art and lifestyle products in celebration of the anniversary. The 1:18-scale miniature of the 20th Art Car by Julie Mehretu is available for purchase across BMW Lifestyle Shops, with a 1:43 version to follow later in the year. Together with publisher Hatje Cantz, BMW is presenting the third edition of the "BMW Art Cars" catalogue. Interviews with the founders of the collection and essays on each of the 20 Art Cars highlight the art historical relevance and diversity of the works. The cover design of the new edition is by Julie Mehretu. Following the popular Alexander Calder and Roy Lichtenstein fashion collections, the third collaboration with Puma based on the BMW Art Cars will be announced later this year.

“So you can say, the BMW Art Car is definitely a typical Baldessari and the fastest artwork I ever created!”
John Baldessari, BMW Art Car #19, 2016

Born from passion: a brief history of the BMW Art Car Collection.

On 14 June 1975, the BMW 3.0 CSL designed by American sculptor Alexander Calder took to the track at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The project was initially intended as a one-time collaboration between the artist and BMW. The audience cheered for the colourful racing car and children rejoiced. BMW decided this had to continue! It all began with the passion for art and motorsport of French auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain. In 1975, Poulain found a visionary ally in Jochen Neerpasch, founder and Head of BMW Motorsport, for his plan to enter a BMW designed by an artist in the legendary Le Mans endurance race. Even though the first BMW Art Car retired from the race after seven hours, it became a true crowd favourite, laying the foundations for the collection.

“Hervé, win! But drive carefully!”
Alexander Calder, BMW Art Car #1, 1975

In close collaboration with legendary New York gallerist Leo Castelli, BMW Art Cars by American artists such as Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol followed – and all were raced by Hervé Poulain and the BMW team at Le Mans. From 1982 to 1992, the BMW Art Car Collection opened up to the world, with artists transforming various standard production models: Ernst Fuchs, Robert Rauschenberg, Michael Jagamara Nelson, Ken Done, Matazo Kayama, César Manrique, A. R. Penck, Esther Mahlangu, Sandro Chia and David Hockney. In 1999, BMW returned to motorsport with the BMW V12 LMR prototype and American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer. Eight years later, Olafur Eliasson designed "Your mobile expectations: BMW H₂R Project" based on a record-breaking hydrogen race car. Jeff Koons, John Baldessari, Cao Fei, and Julie Mehretu have added dynamic race cars over the past 15 years. Since its invention nearly 140 years ago, artists worldwide have engaged with the automobile both critically and enthusiastically. And over the last 50 years, the BMW Art Car series has contributed significantly to this inspiring dialogue.

“These race cars are like life, they are bursting with power and have enormous energy. My ideas are meant to merge with this power – it's all about fully embracing it.”
Jeff Koons, BMW Art Car #17, 2010

BMW Art Car World Tour 2025 (selection)

until 16 April 2025: Wits Art Museum, Johannesburg, South Africa
BMW Art Car #12 Esther Mahlangu

20-21 March 2025: SPARK Art Fair and MAK Museum Vienna, Austria
Event “(R)Evolution of Art” of the BMW Niederlassung Wien
BMW Art Cars #3 Roy Lichtenstein, #4 Andy Warhol, #6 Robert Rauschenberg, #14 David Hockney, #17 Jeff Koons

28-30 March 2025: Art Basel in Hong Kong
BMW Art Car #20 Julie Mehretu

23 April-2 May 2025: Shanghai Auto Show, China
BMW Art Car #20 Julie Mehretu

18-20 April 2025: Art Dubai, United Arab Emirates
BMW Art Car # TBA

May 2025: 50 Years of BMW Switzerland, Zurich, Switzerland
BMW Art Cars #5 Ernst Fuchs, #8 Ken Done, #11 A. R. Penck, #14 David Hockney, #15 Jenny Holzer, #19 John Baldessari

9-11 May 2025: Taipei Dangdai, Taiwan
BMW Art Car # TBA

27 May–1 June 2025: Bratislava, Slovakia
BMW Art Cars #2 Frank Stella, #7 Michael Jagamara Nelson, #9 Matazo Kayama

15-18 May 2025: Market Art Fair, Stockholm, Sweden
BMW Art Cars #1 Alexander Calder, #3 Roy Lichtenstein, #4 Andy Warhol, #17 Jeff Koons

23-25 May 2025: Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Lake Como, Italy
BMW Art Car #13 Sandro Chia

16 June 2025-1 January 2026: BMW Museum, Munich
BMW Art Cars #7 Michael Jagamara Nelson, #8 Ken Done, #13 Sandro Chia

16 June 2025-31 August 2025: BMW Welt, Munich
BMW Art Cars #15 Jenny Holzer, #20 Julie Mehretu

27-29 June 2025: The Aurora, Båstad, Sweden
BMW Art Cars #1 Alexander Calder, #3 Roy Lichtenstein, #4 Andy Warhol, #17 Jeff Koons

3 July-31August, 2025: Louwman Museum, The Hague, Netherlands
BMW Art Cars #1 Alexander Calder, #2 Frank Stella, #3 Roy Lichtenstein, #4 Andy Warhol, #10 César Manrique, #12 Esther Mahlangu, #14 David Hockney, #17 Jeff Koons

24-28 September 2025: Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey
BMW Art Cars #1 Alexander Calder, #20 Julie Mehretu

The Art Car World Tour schedule is still evolving and will continue through most of 2026. Further stops and venues are planned, including Australia, Belgium (Brussels, Zoute), China (Macau), Germany (Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf), Kazakhstan, Latin America, Morocco (Marrakech), South Africa, Spain, Switzerland (Basel) and USA.

BMW Art Cars

1. Alexander Calder / BMW 3.0 CSL / 1975
2. Frank Stella / BMW 3.0 CSL / 1976
3. Roy Lichtenstein / BMW 320 Group 5 / 1977
4. Andy Warhol / BMW M1 Group 4 / 1979
5. Ernst Fuchs / BMW 635 CSi / 1982
6. Robert Rauschenberg / BMW 635 CSi / 1986
7. Michael Jagamara Nelson / BMW M3 Group A / 1989
8. Ken Done / BMW M3 Group A / 1989
9. Matazo Kayama / BMW 535i / 1990
10. César Manrique / BMW 730i / 1990
11. A.R. Penck / BMW Z1 / 1991
12. Esther Mahlangu / BMW 525i / 1991
13. Sandro Chia / BMW M3 GTR / 1992
14. David Hockney / BMW 850 CSi / 1995
15. Jenny Holzer / BMW V12 LMR / 1999
16. Olafur Eliasson / BMW H₂R / 2007
17. Jeff Koons / BMW M3 GT2 / 2010
18. Cao Fei / BMW M6 GT3 / 2016
19. John Baldessari / BMW M6 GTLM / 2016
20. Julie Mehretu / BMW M Hybrid V8 / 2024

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ilya Baryshev
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
BMW Art Car World Tour
Phone: +49 151 601 544 36
Email: Ilya.Baryshev@bmwgroup.com  

Midrand. Dr Esther Mahlangu’s acclaimed retrospective exhibition, ‘Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective,’ is set to captivate Johannesburg audiences at the Wits Art Museum (WAM). Following its successful run at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town, this landmark exhibition, supported by BMW Group South Africa, WAM, and the National Arts Council, will open its doors to the public on 20 November 2024.

Curated by Nontobeko Ntombela, the retrospective offers a profound exploration of the life and artistic practice of Dr Mahlangu, a national treasure and global icon. It chronicles her remarkable journey, from her humble beginnings in a small village in Mpumalanga to her international recognition as one of the most influential artists of her time. In a comprehensive collection of archival materials spanning five decades, the exhibition celebrates Dr Mahlangu’s significant contributions to and lasting impact on contemporary art.

“Dr Mahlangu is a living symbol of triumph over adversity. As one of the first South African and female African artists to achieve global recognition, her warm personality and ability to inspire creativity have established her as a matriarch and mentor in contemporary art,” says exhibition curator Nontobeko Ntombela. “Her artistic approach continues to inspire younger generations and emphasises Africa’s rightful place at the centre of the art world.”

Craig Mark, Director of The Melrose Gallery, shared Ntombela’s sentiments, noting, “Few South African artists have had the chance to present a retrospective of this scale. We hope this exhibition can pave the way for a global tour, creating opportunities for other South African artists to access these long-restricted museum spaces.”

Dr Mahlangu’s BMW 525i Art Car, a milestone in the history of both art and automotive design, is a highlight of the retrospective exhibition. Created in 1991, this iconic vehicle marked a historic moment as her work became the first by a woman and an African artist to be included in the prestigious BMW Art Car Collection. Its return to Gauteng after over three decades allows local audiences a unique opportunity to experience this world-renowned masterpiece.

“Dr Mahlangu’s extraordinary legacy is a testament to her pioneering spirit. Our longstanding relationship with her, culminating in the return of the BMW 525i Art Car, is a celebration of her artistic brilliance and our joint effort to push the boundaries of creativity,” says Thilosh Moodally, Director of Government Affairs and Communications at BMW Group South Africa. “I am proud to say that we have a long and rich history of supporting the arts and culture and remain committed to using our platform to promote innovation.”  

The WAM retrospective invites audiences from Tshwane, Mpumalanga, and surrounding areas to immerse themselves in the iconic world of Dr Mahlangu. This special regional tribute honours her deep connections to both Gauteng and Mpumalanga. “Wits Art Museum is honoured to host this retrospective, showcasing the remarkable scope and vision in Dr Mahlangu’s work,” says Julia Charlton, WAM Senior Curator.

Bettina Korek, CEO, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries hailed Dr Mahlangu as “one of the most important artists of her time” at the unveiling of her large 9m x 5m mural as the opening event for the VIP Programme for Frieze London in October. The artwork is titled ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabuntu’ and translates from isiNdebele to ‘I am because you are’, emphasising human kindness, connection and community. This is her first public mural in the United Kingdom, painted over sixteen wooden panels.

'Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective’ will be on exhibition at WAM from 20 November 2024 until 17 April 2025. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free.

If you have any questions, please contact:

The Melrose Gallery (through Alkemi Collective)

Sindi Phenya

Client Service Manager – Alkemi Collective

Phone: +27 83 789 2553

Email: sindi@alkemi.global

WAM

Angelique Bougaard

Education Curator – WAM

Angelique.Bougaard@wits.ac.za

BMW Group South Africa

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

END

About Dr Esther Mahlangu

Dr Esther Nostokana Nagiyana Nikwambi Mahlangu is a celebrated South African contemporary artist known for her innovative work that pushes boundaries beyond the traditional mural. Widely recognised as one of the most influential artists across generations, Dr Mahlangu began her artistic journey at the age of ten under the guidance of her grandmother and mother, learning the traditional techniques of isiNdebele mural painting. Her contemporary works, which span a wide variety of non-traditional surfaces, found objects, and automobiles, build upon this rich tradition.

Dr Mahlangu’s participation in the exhibition Magiciens de la Terre (1989) in Paris shot her to fame, marking the launch of her transition from a communal practice into her own agency as a contemporary artist. Shortly thereafter, in 1991, she became the first woman artist and African to paint a BMW Art Car. Dr Mahlangu has exhibited in over 20 countries, sometimes with multiple solo shows in at least seventeen different cities.

She has painted murals across eight different countries and participated in residency programmes with institutions like Project Row Houses (2005), L’Associazione Culturale Colonos (2009), and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2014). Some of her more significant engagements include Documenta IX (1992), the 5th Biennale of Contemporary Art (2000), the 1st Malindi Biennale (2006), and the 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (2009). Dr Mahlangu's collaborations with the BMW Group span decades, including the 1991 BMW 525i Art Car, the Electric AI Canvas at Art Basel 2023 (which featured AI-generated animations based on her designs projected onto a BMW i5), and the 2024 BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, a one-of-a-kind vehicle combining colour-change technology developed by BMW. Dr Mahlangu has also worked on projects with fashion brands like Comme des Garçons (1991), and shoe companies Melissa (2009) and EYTYS (2015). In 2016, she created the Belvedere (RED) bottle design, which helped fund a campaign against HIV/AIDS. Dr Mahlangu's works are represented in over 27 public institutions’ collections, and her work is also held in private collections around the world. She continues her artistic career to this day. Dr Mahlangu is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates for her contribution to art.

For more information, please visit Esther Mahlangu’s website, or connect with her on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/esthermahlanguart

Instagram: www.instagram.com/esthermahlanguart

About Nontobeko Ntombela (the exhibition curator) 

Nontobeko Ntombela is a lecturer in the Department of Curatorial, Public, and Visual Cultures at the Wits School of Arts in Johannesburg. She holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on Modern and Contemporary South African art, with a particular interest in Black women artists. Ntombela began her career as a curator in 2002 and has worked at various institutions, including the BAT Centre, Durban University Art Gallery, and the Johannesburg Art Gallery, where she curated numerous exhibitions. After a decade of curatorial work, Ntombela took up an academic position at Wits, shifting her curatorial practice to centre more archival and research-driven historical projects. Some of her most recent notable curatorial projects include the ‘Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective’ (2024) exhibition at Iziko South African National Galleries in Cape Town and Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg, ‘When Rain Clouds Gather: South African Black Women Artists 1940–2000’ (2022-2023) at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, and ‘The Burden of Memory’ (2019) at multiple venues in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

About The Melrose Gallery 

The Melrose Gallery is a leading Pan African Contemporary gallery located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The gallery represents established and emerging artists whose voices speak to issues of significance to the continent of Africa on a global basis. They are passionate about ensuring that the elders who have made a valuable contribution to African Contemporary Art are recognised and continue to be heard. These inspiring stalwarts provide a stable foundation to an exciting young guard of artists who are swiftly emerging from the African Continent and Diaspora to establish themselves globally. The Melrose Gallery runs a curated programme of exhibitions, participates in respected art fairs, supports many artists in their participation at Biennales, and conceptualises and implements significant non-commercial exhibitions in association with leading museums.

For more information, please visit the Melrose Gallery website, or connect with them on social media:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/themelrosegallerysa

Facebook: www.facebook.com/themelrosegallery

Or send an email to: craig@themelrosegallery.com

About Wits Art Museum

Located in the heart of Braamfontein, Johannesburg, Wits Art Museum (WAM) is a university art museum that serves both academic and public audiences. With over 13,000 African artworks, WAM’s mission is to facilitate compelling encounters with African art for academics, students, and anyone who appreciates great art. The museum’s extensive collection includes historical and contemporary artworks, showcasing the rich diversity of Africa’s visual culture.

For more information, please visit WAM’s website, or connect with them on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WitsArtMuseum

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/witsartmuseum_wam/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtgEIZOT88sGGrA-_-Ug1jQ/featured

About the BMW Group

With its four brands – BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad – the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was €17.1 billion on revenues amounting to €155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

For more information, please visit the BMW Group’s website, or connect with them on social media:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

About BMW Group Cultural Engagement

Why culture? Why not! Culture is knowledge, a sanctuary of beauty and depth, of meaning and peace. An inspiring escape. Tranquil at best, even unsettling sometimes. As a corporate citizen, the BMW Group takes social responsibility seriously, a part of which it has been involved in hundreds of cultural initiatives worldwide for over half a century, in the fields of contemporary art, music, and film as well as in design. As a long-term partner, creative freedom is key – and as essential for groundbreaking works as it is for major innovations within a business enterprise like ours.

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/overview

Instagram: @BMWGroupCulture

#BMWGroupCulture 

Midrand. On 2 November 2024, The BMW Art Generation will return for its second edition at the Nirox Sculpture Park in Kromdraai, Krugersdorp. This year The BMW Art Generation will build on the momentum of its inaugural 2023 edition by fostering joy through connections and exchange while highlighting contemporary African art and lifestyle.

The BMW Art Generation’s Moments of Joy

A prime arts and lifestyle event, The BMW Art Generation will fulfil the questions and curiosities of art enthusiasts and academics parallel to offering them an intentionally engaging programme of art walkabouts in the park; studio visits; a live music line-up made to facilitate enjoyment, as well as food, wine and fashion offerings that demonstrate Africa as a destination for lifestyle excellence.

The day will kick off with an intergenerational conversation that looks at the medium of painting as a practice of liberation. Intergenerational, the conversation will be between formidable painters Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi and Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi. The conversation will be moderated by Janine Gaëlle Dieudji, curator of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

Parallel to the discourse, guests can look forward to

• Food: Lara the Food Goddess, Lucky Bread, Jack Rabbit, Forest Gelato, Glory, Il Contadino, Soul Souvlaki
• Fashion: BOYDE; VIVIERS; NAO SERATI and UNI FORM by Luke Radloff
• Music: Kopano Jazz Collective, the South African Music Award nominated Kujenga and, as a headline, the multi-award-winning leading artist: Thandiswa Mazwai

“As part of our long-term dedication to art education, BMW will continue to play a pivotal role in promoting and fostering creativity and innovation for future generations. The BMW Art Generation is a testament to this vision, creating a platform for the exchange of knowledge between generations of artists, collectors, and cultural practitioners,” said Taz Ramphisa, General Manager: Customer and Brand, BMW Group South Africa.

Building a legacy of celebration, connection and exchange — The BMW Art Generation premise 

In 2020, BMW Group South Africa and FNB Art Joburg established the BMW Young Collectors Co. to develop a new generation of art enthusiasts that will collect African art on African soil. Through exclusive opportunities to meet and connect with leaders in contemporary African art that entry level collectors may not have access to, BMW Young Collectors Co. has built itself up to be one of the most coveted memberships.

A means for BMW South Africa and FNB Art Joburg to open the club’s programme to the public, with support from First National Bank, The BMW Art Generation will serve as a vibrant meeting place for the public to encounter celebrated, established and young artists, curators and academics from across the world. Together this collective has the opportunity to imagine, celebrate and protect the future of contemporary African art.

“Leaders in culture, BMW South Africa exemplifies why patronage is vital in sustaining art. We are privileged to benefit from their support, which not only enhances our initiatives but also strengthens the social fabric we need to foster a rich exchange. Through their investment, we are reminded that culture thrives when shared,” says FNB Art Joburg Managing Director, Mandla Sibeko.

An invitation to celebrate the joys art brings 

Building on the foundation that was established in the first edition, The BMW Art Generation Vol. 2 is a call to look towards joy through art and culture. Centered around a generative jouissance of intergenerational exchange, this edition acknowledges the weight of art to articulate things that cannot be put into words.

Tickets and event information 

Inclusive of live music, talks and full access to the Nirox Sculpture Park, tickets for The BMW Art Generation cost R400. To purchase tickets, visithttps://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/the-bmw-art-generation

NOTES TO EDITORS 

For the latest info on The BMW Art Generation, you can find us on Instagram by following @bmwartgeneration or BMW Young Collectors Co. on LinkedIn

For all press inquiries email: zaza@artjoburg.com

ENDS 

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

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Midrand. On 3 October, BMW Group South Africa unveiled and handed over a house to Esther Mahlangu in honour of her artistic legacy. Held at the KwaNdebele homestead in Mpumalanga, the ceremony was attended by family, local dignitaries, and media. It highlighted the unique, long-standing relationship between the BMW Group and the globally acclaimed visual artist.

The vibrant modern Ndebele hut is a securer house for Mahlangu. It comprises two bedrooms and a full bathroom, kitchen and lounge areas, and two studio spaces that provide her a comfortable work area. BMW Group South Africa celebrated this significant event to honour Mahlangu’s incredible talent and demonstrate a shared history of ground-breaking collaboration and appreciation for her art that transcends borders.

In over 30 years of blending traditional Ndebele art with contemporary automotive design, the BMW Group has been a proud partner of Mahlangu. Through its global cultural engagement, the BMW Group has established over 100 long-term initiatives in the fields of modern and contemporary art, classical music, jazz, sound, architecture, and design.

Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa commented, “Ma Esther’s storied journey of tradition and innovation with the BMW Group has led us to this momentous occasion. The opening of the Esther Mahlangu House is a tribute to her innovative and disruptive spirit, iconic global resonance and status, and dedication to advancing the BMW Group brand. On behalf of BMW Group South Africa, I thank her for 33 years of redefining the automotive industry through culture.”

A long-standing relationship. 

As a much-loved cultural ambassador of the Ndebele nation, Mahlangu has made a valuable contribution to contemporary art for over seven decades. Her journey with the BMW Group began in 1991, when she became the first African and female artist commissioned by the organisation to create an Art Car. Transforming a BMW 525i sedan into a unique canvas by using traditional Ndebele-inspired designs, Mahlangu marked a pivotal moment in the art world.

Throughout her illustrious artistic career, Mahlangu has demonstrated remarkable versatility in her collaborations with the BMW Group, introducing her unique vision to a diverse range of projects. Her pioneering spirit and exceptional contributions to the art world have strengthened BMW Group South Africa’s cultural philosophy. 

BMW Group South Africa expressed its deep admiration and appreciation for Mahlangu’s social upliftment, particularly in her preservation of traditional Ndebele techniques and patterns as she mentors young artists. The techniques she teaches use fingers and hands or chicken feathers – the latter of which she employed in her design for her iconic BMW 525i Art Car. In a further show of great passion, she has trained people from her home village in Mabhoko in the KwaMhlanga district of Mpumalanga.

Mahlangu’s artistic process involves the use of natural and sustainable materials – a practice in alignment with the BMW Group’s core philosophy of sustainability. Her deep roots in Mthambothini, a Nkangala district in Mpumalanga, reflect her commitment to her community and reinforce her status as a living legend safeguarding the visual language and history of the Ndebele people.

Etched in art and automotive history.

Mahlangu’s international success serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through talent, commitment, and determination. She has received multiple commendations, including three honorary doctorates. Mahlangu’s artworks grace many of the world’s most esteemed museums as well as corporate and private collections.

Through this special partnership, BMW Group South Africa reaffirms its commitment to building a better future for children, communities, and the country. The Esther Mahlangu House stands as a symbol of this commitment, representing a shared appreciation for the transcendent impact of arts and culture.

ENDS

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://youtube.com/BMWGroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Midrand. Following the successful run of “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective” at the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town, Dr Esther Mahlangu’s major retrospective celebrating her life’s work will be moving to the Wits Art Museum (WAM) in Johannesburg in November 2024.

The exhibition features over 100 artworks loaned from international collections, including her BMW Art Car, painted mannequins, a TV, and a series of prints created by her in collaboration with Nelson Mandela. Through the presentation of archival material from her illustrious career spanning fifty decades, the retrospective charts her meteoric rise from humble beginnings to becoming an art world colossus and one of the most celebrated artists of our time.

The curator Nontobeko Ntombela explains that, “this retrospective offers a remarkable opportunity to experience Esther Mahlangu's artistic journey. Her work has had a profound impact on South African modern and contemporary art, and this exhibition is a testament of her incredible contribution.”

The foundations for Mahlangu’s artistic journey were laid by her grandmother and mother, who taught her the cultural practice of Ndebele wall painting and beadwork from the age of ten. Mahlangu worked in the communal cultural tradition of the Southern Ndebele community in decorating one’s home, at a time when the land was contested. Not only did the wall murals identify the Southern Ndebele community, but they also signalled resistance to white oppression laying claim to this contested land. Mahlangu’s story of perseverance and passion is encapsulated in the exhibition’s title, inspired by her realisation: “Then I knew I was good at painting.” 

In 1989, Mahlangu gained international recognition when she was invited to participate in the Magiciens de la Terre exhibition in Paris. Mahlangu was invited to travel to Paris to paint a replica of her home which generated much media and other international exposure. In 1991, she became the first African and the first woman to paint a BMW Art Car, joining the ranks of art legends like Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Roy Lichtenstein.

Mahlangu is celebrated for her unique visual language, which has drawn inspiration from the Ndebele artistic practice. She has adapted, extended and transported these practices to develop her body of work. Described variously as a social justice activist, a Warholian entrepreneur, and a cultural ambassador, Mahlangu’s work is complex and layered, defying any simple interpretive narrative or Western art historical framework. One thing art critics unanimously agree on, however, is her virtuosic mastery of colour and form and her extraordinary ability to successfully navigate the ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary’ worlds.

“Mahlangu is a living symbol of triumph against adversity. She is one of the first among South African artists, as well as among women artists, to become a global icon of the art world. Her affable demeanour and her ability to inspire creativity and delight in so many around the world, has earned her reputation as a matriarch and mentor of the contemporary art world,” says exhibition curator Nontobeko Ntombela. “Her approach to art has inspired generations of younger artists and reaffirms the call for Africa to take its rightful place at centre stage in the story of art.”

The Melrose Gallery Director – Craig Mark – echoed Ntombela’s sentiments, adding that, “very few South African artists have had the opportunity to present a retrospective like this one, and we hope to be able to take it even further with the potential of a global showing after the run at WAM which will hopefully lead to opportunities for other South African artists to be given access to these museum spaces which they have so long been denied.”

“The retrospective at WAM will open to the public on the 20th of November 2024, made possible thanks to the partnership and support provided by the National Arts Council and the BMW Group, without whom this retrospective wouldn’t have been possible,” says Mark.

The WAM showing provides an opportunity for audiences from Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Tshwane and outlying areas to experience the iconic works of living art legend and national treasure Esther Mahlangu. Mahlangu lives in Mpumalanga, but she has spent a considerable amount of time in Tshwane and Johannesburg; the exhibition is an opportunity for audiences from this region to experience and celebrate this important milestone with her. “Wits Art Museum is honoured to host this retrospective, allowing visitors to experience the extraordinary scope and breadth of vision present in Mahlangu’s work,” said WAM spokesperson Julia Charlton, Senior Curator.

Accompanying the artworks, Mahlangu’s BMW 525i Art Car makes its historic return to Gauteng for the first time in over 30 years. It is one of the highlights of the exhibition. Other highlights include a meticulously curated timeline of Esther Mahlangu’s practice and some of her earliest canvas works. 

“The BMW Group's commitment to this exhibition is a testament to our respect and admiration for Dr Esther Mahlangu's pioneering spirit and remarkable contribution to the world of art. This exhibition not only celebrates the incredible journey and legacy of Mam’ Esther but also symbolises a cherished collaboration that dates back over three decades. We are especially excited about the return of the BMW Art Car to Gauteng – a significant symbol of our shared history and appreciation for art that transcends boundaries”, says Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa.

In the lead up to the exhibition in Johannesburg, Mahlangu is set to be honoured in London by the Serpentine Gallery with the unveiling a large 9m x 5m mural as the opening event for Frieze London.

The artwork is titled ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabuntu’ and directly translates from Ndebele to ‘I am because you are’, emphasising a connectedness that exists between humans, communities and other living species. It will be presented in the garden at Serpentine North and be on view from 4 October 2024.

This is her first public mural in the UK, painted over sixteen wooden panels. The work depicts traditional Ndebele shapes and patterns outlined with a black border, having learned the art of Ndebele design from her mother and grandmother which is tradition amongst her nation.

Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective – will be on exhibition at WAM from the end of November, and the museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm and admission is free.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group South Africa

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

The Melrose Gallery (through Alkemi Collective)

Shaun Demmer

Head of Client Service – Alkemi Collective

Phone: +27 82 776 9006

Email: shaun@alkemi.global

WAM

Angelique Bougaard

Education Curator – WAM

Angelique.Bougaard@wits.ac.za

ENDS

Editor’s Notes

About Dr Esther Mahlangu

Dr Esther Nostokana Nagiyana Nikwambi Mahlangu is a celebrated South African contemporary artist known for her innovative work that pushes boundaries beyond the traditional mural. Widely recognized as one of the most influential artists across generations, Mahlangu began her artistic journey at the age of ten under the guidance of her grandmother and mother, learning the traditional techniques of isiNdebele mural painting. Her contemporary works which span a wide variety of non-traditional surfaces, found objects and automobiles, build upon this rich tradition.

Mahlangu’s participation in the exhibition Magiciens de la Terre (1989) in Paris, shot her to fame, marking the launch of her transition from a communal practice into her own agency as a contemporary artist. Shortly thereafter, in 1991, she became the first woman artist and African to paint a BMW Art Car. Mahlangu has exhibited in over 20 countries, sometimes with multiple solo shows in at least seventeen different cities.

She has painted murals across eight different countries and participated in residency programs with institutions like Project Row Houses (2005), L’Associazione Culturale Colonos (2009) & Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2014). Some of her more significant engagements include Documenta IX (1992), the 5th Biennale of Contemporary Art (2000), the 1st Malindi Biennale (2006), and the 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (2009). Mahlangu's collaborations with BMW Group span decades, including the 1991 BMW 525i Art Car, the Electric AI Canvas at Art Basel 2023 (which featured AI-generated animations based on her designs projected onto a BMW i5), and the 2024 BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, a one-of-a-kind vehicle combining colour-change technology developed by BMW. Esther Mahlangu has also worked on projects with fashion brands like Comme des Garçons (1991), shoe companies Melissa (2009) and EYTYS (2015). In 2016, she created the Belvedere (RED) bottle design, which helped fund a campaign against HIV/AIDS. Mahlangu's works are represented in over 27 public institutions’ collections, and she has been collected by private individuals worldwide. She continues her artistic career to this day. Esther Mahlangu is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates for her contribution to art.

www.esthermahlangu.com

www.facebook.com/esthermahlanguart

www.instagram.com/esthermahlanguart

About Nontobeko Ntombela (The Exhibition Curator)

Nontobeko Ntombela is a lecturer in the Department of Curatorial, Public, and Visual Cultures at the Wits School of Arts in Johannesburg. She holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on Modern and Contemporary South African art, with a particular interest in Black women artists. Ntombela began her career as a curator in 2002 and has worked at various institutions, including the BAT Centre, Durban University Art Gallery, and the Johannesburg Art Gallery, where she curated numerous exhibitions. After a decade of curatorial work, Ntombela took up an academic position at Wits, shifting her curatorial practice to centre more archival and research-driven historical projects. Some of her most recent notable curatorial projects include: “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective” (2024) exhibition at Iziko South African National Galleries in Cape Town and Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg, "When Rain Clouds Gather: South African Black Women Artists 1940–2000" (2022-2023) at the Norval Foundation in Cape Town, and "The Burden of Memory" (2019) at multiple venues in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

About The Melrose Gallery

The Melrose Gallery is a leading Pan African Contemporary gallery located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The gallery represents established and emerging artists whose voices speak to issues of significance to the Continent of Africa on a global basis. We are passionate about ensuring that the elders who have made a valuable contribution to African Contemporary Art are recognised and continue to be heard. These inspiring stalwarts provide a stable foundation to an exciting young guard of artists who are swiftly emerging from the African Continent and Diaspora to establish themselves globally. We run a curated programme of exhibitions, participate in respected art fairs, support many of our artists in their participation at Biennales and conceptualize and implement significant non-commercial exhibitions in association with leading museums.

www.themelrosegallery.com

www.instagram.com/themelrosegallerysa

www.facebook.com/themelrosegallery

craig@themelrosegallery.com

About WAM

Located in the heart of Braamfontein, Johannesburg, Wits Art Museum is a university art museum that serves both academic and public audiences. With over 13,000 African artworks, WAM’s mission is to facilitate compelling encounters with African art for academics, students, and anyone who appreciates great art. The museum’s extensive collection includes historical and contemporary artworks, showcasing the rich diversity of Africa’s visual culture.

For more information, please visit WAM’s website, or connect with them on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/WitsArtMuseum

https://www.instagram.com/witsartmuseum_wam/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtgEIZOT88sGGrA-_-Ug1jQ/featured

About The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

About BMW Group Cultural Engagement

Why Culture? Why not! Culture is knowledge, a sanctuary of beauty and depth, of meaning and peace. An inspiring escape. Tranquil at best, even unsettling sometimes. As a corporate citizen, the BMW Group takes social responsibility seriously, as part of which it has been involved in hundreds of cultural initiatives worldwide for over half a century, in the fields of contemporary art, music and film as well as in design. As a long-term partner, creative freedom is key – and as essential for groundbreaking works as it is for major innovations within a business enterprise like ours.

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/overview

Instagram: @BMWGroupCulture

#BMWGroupCulture

Munich/London. From October 9 to 13, Frieze London and Frieze Masters will return to London’s Regent’s Park. As one of Frieze’s long-term global partners since 2004, BMW will honor the artistic oeuvre of Ndebele artist Esther Mahlangu, who was the first woman to create a BMW Art Car in 1991. Together with BMW, Serpentine will reveal “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” (“I am because you are”), a new site-specific mural by Mahlangu in the garden at Serpentine North. In celebration of cultural exchange and responding to Mahlangu’s work, renowned actor, collector and Talk Art host Russell Tovey will curate a selection of artworks from his private collection that will be displayed at Frieze London in the BMW Lounge. He chose pieces by female, queer and artists of colour in response to works by Mahlangu. The first interview publication with Esther Mahlangu, titled “Esther Mahlangu: To Paint is in My Heart”, published by Thames & Hudson, will be launched during Frieze week with co-editors Azu Nwagbogu and Hans Ulrich Obrist. 

Esther Mahlangu (b. 1935, South Africa) has been creating large-scale and site-specific works for over eight decades and is a pioneer of Pan-African contemporary art. She began painting at the age of ten, learning the traditional Ndebele techniques and visual language of covering houses in bold patterns from her mother and grandmother. Mahlangu uses natural pigments mixed with clay, soil and cow dung to paint directly on the exteriors of structures in her village. Rather than using stencils and tape to achieve lines and shapes, she paints by hand with chicken feathers and an array of different brushes. The artist also works with acrylic paints on canvas, which allows her to explore different scales and a broader colour palette.

In 1991, Esther Mahlangu designed the 12th BMW Art Car in the esteemed collection, based on a BMW 525i – becoming the first woman and African artist to do so. Since 1975, artists such as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei, and John Baldessari have turned BMW race and series cars into works of art. Her BMW Art Car marked the beginning of a longstanding relationship between the BMW Group and Mahlangu, inspiring future collaborations.

BMW and Esther Mahlangu during Frieze London
“Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, presented in the garden at Serpentine North in collaboration with the BMW Group and The Melrose Gallery, supported by Benjamin Milstein, is Esther Mahlangu’s first public mural in the UK. Painted over sixteen wooden panels, the work depicts traditional Ndebele shapes and patterns outlined with a black border. The title of the work translates directly from Ndebele as “I am because you are", emphasising the importance of communities and unity among humans and other living species.

“I am proud to present this monumental outdoor work at Serpentine in London. It is my wish that this painting brings much joy to those who see it in celebration and recognition of the interconnectedness that exists between our two nations and indeed all living beings”, comments the artist.

Bettina Korek, CEO, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine say: “Esther Mahlangu is is one of the most important artists of our time who continues to inspire emerging talents. Mahlangu is a polymath who brings art into society. This is a wonderful moment to celebrate Serpentine’s friendship with the artist and honour her work in the UK. We’re grateful to all our partners who have made this fantastic project possible and particularly BMW for their support, and we hope audiences will engage with the piece and the unique surroundings of The Royal Parks”. 

The work will be officially inaugurated at the traditional Serpentine breakfast on October 9 during Frieze London.

Various events at the BMW Lounge at Frieze London will celebrate the relationship with the artist. The lounge exhibition itself salutes Esther Mahlangu’s work, showcasing a selection of the collection of renowned actor, collector and Talk Art podcast host, Russell Tovey, for the first time at Frieze London. As an admirer of the artist’s colourful abstract paintings, he chose pieces by Etel Adnan, Math Bass, Matt Connors, Jadé Fadojutimi, Mary Heilman, Carmen Herrera and Hayley Tompkins in response to Esther Mahlangu’s works “Ndebele Abstract” and “Ndebele Abstract 2022”.  

“Esther’s geometric work inspires me deeply, the freedom that can be found within her paintings and her practice resonates throughout my collection. Geometric abstract art has been something that I’ve gravitated towards for many years. To live with these works has felt calming and has satisfied the curiosity and enthusiasm that I long for in an image. I am so excited to bring works from my own personal collection, that bring so much to me on a daily basis, into a rich conversation with Esther Mahlangu”, says Tovey. During a talk followed by a reception on October 10 at the BMW Lounge, Russell Tovey will explain his fascination with Mahlangu.

BMW is proud to enable the first interview publication with Esther Mahlangu. “Esther Mahlangu. To Paint is in My Heart” will be published by Thames & Hudson in autumn 2024 and exclusively pre-launched during Frieze London. The book explores the life and revolutionary art of Esther Mahlangu through a series of interviews between the artist and curators Hans Ulrich Obrist, Azu Nwagbogu and BMW’s head of cultural engagement, Thomas Girst as well as a foreword by Nontobeko Ntombela, curator of the Esther Mahlangu “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting” retrospective. In addition, the South African fashion designer Thebe Magugu provides an insight into the connection between Esther Mahlangu and Ndebele culture in relation to fashion as part of the book.

On October 9, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Azu Nwagbogu and Thomas Girst will talk about their collaboration for “Esther Mahlangu. To Paint is in My Heart” at the BMW Lounge and will sign copies the book which will be on sale on site.

The year marks a pinnacle in Esther Mahlangu’s career. Besides the manifold activities during Frieze London, a retrospective of her work is touring the world: “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting”, which opened in February 2024 at the Iziko Museums of South Africa. The exhibition showcases Esther Mahlangu's more than 50-year career and her rise as a contemporary artist, a journey that has earned her global recognition. As part of the show, Mahlangu's BMW 525i Art Car returned to South Africa for the first time in over 30 years. The next stop on the global tour is at the Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg, opening on November 19. Moreover, her works were part of the 2024 Venice Biennale main exhibition, “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere”, curated by Adriano Pedrosa. And the latest in her remarkably versatile collaborations with the BMW Group premiered at Frieze L.A. this February: the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, featuring her artistic language and BMW's colour-change technology.

Frieze Music
Continuing their long-term collaboration, BMW and Frieze will once again partner to present Frieze Music in London. On October 10, contemporary Indie-Pop singer Arlo Parks will perform at the legendary KOKO Theatre in Camden. The 24-year-old artist’s most recent LP “My Soft Machine” made it into the Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of 2023. Her debut album “Collapsed in Sunbeams”, released in 2021, won Parks a Mercury Prize and critical acclaim, especially for her poetic and intelligent songwriting portraying the complex reality of her contemporaries.   

Exploring the intersection of music and the arts to spark inspiring dialogues, Frieze Music provides artists the opportunity to create a unique performance, highlighting their craft through song, inspiration and conversations with fellow artists. Launched during the inaugural Frieze Los Angeles in 2019, the joint initiative between BMW and Frieze has brought together a wide range of musicians, including Moses Sumney, Caroline Polachek, Nilüfer Yanya and Loyle Carner.

To visit the BMW Lounge, please note that entrance tickets or VIP accreditation for the VIP day on October 9 & 10 are required. Media can register for accreditation here.

BMW Lounge featuring Esther Mahlangu’s works in dialogue with the private collection of Russell Tovey
October 9-13
Frieze London
Regent’s Park

“Esther Mahlangu. To Paint is in My Heart” Book Launch
Wednesday, October 9, 3.30 – 4.00 pm
Followed by a Champagne Toast

Art Talk with Russell Tovey
Thursday, October 10, 3.00pm  

Media Accreditation and interview requests

Opening Hours
Wednesday, October 9: 11am to 7pm (invitation only)
Thursday, October 10: 11am to 7pm (invitation and preview ticket holders only 11am to 3pm, open to the public from 3pm)
Friday - Sunday, October 11-13: 11am to 7pm

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement with exclusive updates and deeper insights into the global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.

Cape Town. Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) and BMW Group South Africa are proud to launch the renaming of the Zeitz MOCAA Centre for Art Education to BMW Centre for Art Education at a media event on Wednesday, 11 September 2024. This follows a three-year partnership agreement between Zeitz MOCAA and its longstanding mobility partner in support of the museum’s curatorial and education programming.

Zeitz MOCAA is a groundbreaking Pan African and Pan Diasporic institution dedicated to promoting and preserving contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. The museum’s vision is to produce and present cutting-edge contemporary exhibitions and art historical knowledge, enhance the careers of Africa’s most talented artists in the 21st century and beyond, strengthen its education programmes, and ensure access for all.

“A strategic priority that has remained central to the work of Zeitz MOCAA includes advancing accessibility through art education, facilitating art participation for youth and adults, teacher training, and advocacy with not-for-profit organisations and art education bodies,” says Koyo Kouoh, Zeitz MOCAA Executive Director & Chief Curator. “The work of the BMW Centre for Art Education speaks directly into one of the founding elements of the institution’s mission and vision, namely, to operate school and education programmes that enrich, inspire, and bring art and culture to both children and adults,” she adds.

Zeitz MOCAA’s BMW Centre for Art Education (CFAE) comprises a dedicated team of education specialists led by the dynamic Liesl Hartman who has been involved in formal and community-based visual art and design education for 30 years in her capacity as a teacher, facilitator, manager and writer. Hartman has taught children and adults of all ages in a variety of contexts and is best known in local art educational communities within Cape Town.

“Our aim is to become a thriving museum with thriving communities. This generous funding from BMW Group South Africa will support the vision of the CFAE by enabling us to continue making art accessible to a diverse audience of all ages through discussion, debate and active making, whether within the walls of the museum or beyond. The scope of our art education programming, which has grown exponentially since 2018, engages the museum’s permanent collection and exhibitions while collaborating with local and international organisations, institutions and schools that provide access to 21st-century African art practice,” says Liesl Hartman, Head of the BMW Centre for Art Education.

Since opening its doors to the public in 2017, Zeitz MOCAA has been keenly aligned with the initiatives of BMW Group South Africa including the BMW Young Collectors Co. established in 2019 as an initiative of FNB Art Joburg. To help fill an educational void in contemporary art collecting, the BMW Young Collectors Co. addresses the shortcomings of the country’s community of collectors. FNB Art Joburg noted that the traditional community of collectors would benefit from an injection of younger and more diverse members. Thus, the programme was started to empower South Africa’s future leaders and today’s preservers of culture. BMW Art Generation brings celebrated, established, and young artists, curators, and academics, from across the world together in conversation with collectors to imagine, celebrate and protect the future of contemporary African art.

“Arts and culture are essential to the BMW Group. The organisation has engaged in over 100 cultural collaborations around the world, with valuable partnerships created within the South African arts and culture landscape. South Africa’s heritage reflects a blend of unique local culture and diversity of influence that must be preserved – which is what these partnerships intend to do. Artistic and cultural activities present unique and inspiring ways to unlock the creative capabilities of a nation – allowing constant reinvention and innovation for an ever-changing social, economic and political environment,” says Peter van Binsbergen, Chief Executive Officer, BMW Group South Africa. “This partnership with Zeitz MOCAA and its Centre for Art Education foregrounds an ethos that fosters innovation, community and an Africa that will continue to set standards for the global contemporary art ecosystem, prioritising access through the transference of knowledge, from one generation to another,” he endorses.

The Zeitz MOCAA and BMW Group South Africa partnership will advance the institution’s vision and mission as an active agent that caters to and nurtures society through education programming surrounding contemporary art from Africa.

Zeitz MOCAA’s curatorial and education programming is generously supported by Gucci, Mellon Foundation, and BMW Group South Africa.

ENDS

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group South Africa 

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Zeitz MOCAA

Evaan Jason Ferreira

Email: evaanjason.ferreira@zeitzmocaa.museum

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

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About Zeitz MOCAA

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public not-for-profit institution that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora; conceives and hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational, discursive and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding; and strives towards access for all. The museum’s galleries feature rotating temporary exhibitions with dedicated spaces for the permanent collection. The institution also includes the BMW Centre for Art Education  (CFAE), and The Atelier, a museum residency programme for artists living and working in Cape Town. Zeitz MOCAA is situated at the Silo District, South Arm Road, V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, and is open Monday through Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm (last entry at 5.30 pm. www.zeitzmocaa.museum

Paris/Munich. The 20th BMW Art Car is being presented to the public for the first time today at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Designed by renowned New York-based contemporary artist Julie Mehretu, the project transforms the BMW M Hybrid V8 race car into a performative work of art, continuing a longstanding tradition of BMW Art Cars and competitive racing. Just a few weeks after its World Premiere in the French capital, the newest edition in the storied BMW Art Car collection will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“The whole BMW Art Car project is about invention, about imagination, about pushing limits of what can be possible. I don’t think of this car as something you would exhibit. I am thinking of it as something that will race in Le Mans. It’s a performative painting. My BMW Art Car was created in close collaboration with motorsport and engineering teams,” says Julie Mehretu. “The BMW Art Car is only completed once the race is over.”

The collaboration between BMW and Julie Mehretu also includes a joint commitment to a series of PanAfrican Translocal Media Workshops for filmmakers, which will tour various African cities in 2025 and 2026, and will culminate in a major exhibition at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town.

“The BMW Art Cars are an essential part of our global cultural commitment. For almost 50 years, we have been cooperating with artists who are just as fascinated by mobility and design as they are by technology and motorsports. Julie Mehretu's vision for a racing car is an extraordinarily strong contribution to our BMW Art Cars series,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “Julie Mehretu has created more than an amazing Art Car. Her ideas provided the impetus for us to expand the cultural commitment of our Art Cars to promote the creativity of young artists in Africa.”

A Performative Painting is Created.
Space, movement and energy have always been central motifs in Julie Mehretu's work. For the design of the 20th BMW Art Car, she transformed a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional representation for the first time, with which she succeeded in bringing dynamism into form. Julie Mehretu used the colour and form vocabulary of her monumental painting “Everywhen” (2021 - 2023) as a starting point for her design. The work is currently on view at the artist’s major retrospective at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice and will subsequently become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, to which it has been gifted.

Its abstract visual form results from digitally altered photographs, which are superimposed in several layers of dot grids, neon-coloured veils and the black markings characteristic of Mehretu's work. “In the studio where I had the model of the BMW M Hybrid V8 I was just sitting in front of the painting and I thought: What would happen if this car seemed to go through that painting and becomes affected by it,” Julie Mehretu says. “The idea was to make a remix, a mash-up of the painting. I kept seeing that painting kind of dripping into the car. Even the kidneys of the car inhaled the painting.”

BMW Art Cars with Le Mans history come together at the Concorso d’Eleganza.
The fusion of image and vehicle was realised with the help of 3D mapping, with which the motif was transferred to the contours of the vehicle. The elaborate foiling allows for the fully designed BMW M Hybrid V8 to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. BMW Motorsport drivers Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Robin Frijns (NED) and René Rast (GER) will enter the 20th BMW Art Car with starting number 20 at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 15 June. Like them, Julie Mehretu is also eagerly awaiting the race: “I went to see the BMW M Hybrid V8 race in Daytona, and this experience was overwhelming. Designers, engineers, aerodynamicists and so many other creative minds are working on taking this vehicle to its extreme. When it goes out on the racetrack now, so many dreams will be fulfilled.”

Leading up to race day, Julie Mehretu's BMW Art Car will make an appearance at the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este in Lake Como on its way to Le Mans. As part of the exhibition for historic vehicles organised by the BMW Group and the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este, Julie Mehretu herself will present the 20th edition of the BMW Art Car Collection. It will be featured on the grounds of the Villa Erba together with the BMW Art Cars by Alexander Calder (1975), Frank Stella (1976), Roy Lichtenstein (1977), Andy Warhol (1979), Jenny Holzer (1999) and Jeff Koons (2010), which also made their race debut at Le Mans. Julie Mehretu will discuss the creation of the 20th BMW Art Car in an artist talk with Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, on Sunday, 26 May 2024.

Inspiration for Young Artists: PanAfrican Translocal Media Workshops.
The collaboration between BMW and Julie Mehretu was conceived from the beginning beyond the automobile. It will culminate after the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a project for emerging artists on the African continent: The PanAfrican Translocal Media Workshops. Together, the partners are focussing on the creative potential across the African continent, where the BMW Group has been making a contribution to social responsibility with educational projects for over 50 years.

Julie Mehretu and Mehret Mandefro, Emmy-nominated producer, writer and co-founder of the Realness Institute, which works to strengthen the media ecosystem in Africa, will organise workshops in various African cities and regions throughout 2025. The goal of the project is to provide a space for artists and filmmakers to collaborate and exchange ideas. These meetings will offer a forum for artists to develop new pathways towards a just civic future in their respective communities.

The PanAfrican Translocal Workshop series will visit the cities of Dakar (Senegal), Marrakech (Morocco), Kigali (Rwanda), Lagos (Nigeria) and Cape Town (South Africa). The results of the workshops will be presented together with the 20th BMW Art Car at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in the first half of 2026.

The BMW Group is thus consistently continuing its decades-long support for film and creative talent: from the short film series ‘The Hire’ and the partnership with the Cannes International Film Festival to the acquisition of works by students from art academies in the neighbourhoods of the company’s plants worldwide.

The Artist.
Julie Mehretu is a world-renowned American painter. She was born in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, in 1970. Together with her family she moved to the U.S. at the age of seven. She lives and works in New York City and Berlin.

Mehretu’s practice in painting, drawing and printmaking engage the viewer in a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience, a depiction of social behavior and the psychogeography of space by exploring palimpsests of history, from geological time to a modern-day phenomenology of the social.

Mehretu received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Kalamazoo College in Michigan, spent a year abroad at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, and completed her Master's degree of Fine Art with honors from The Rhode Island School of Design in 1997. Mehretu has received numerous awards, including the The MacArthur Award (2005), The Berlin Prize: Guna S. Mundheim Fellowship at The American Academy in Berlin (2007) and the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts Award (2015). A mid-career survey of Mehretu's work recently toured at LACMA (Los Angeles), High Museum (Atlanta) The Whitney Museum of American Art (New York) and The Walker Museum of Art (Minneapolis) from 2019 to 2023. Her largest European solo exhibition to date entitled “Ensemble” opened March 17, 2024 at Palazzo Grassi in Venice.

Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and The National Academy of Design. Her global representative is Marian Goodman Gallery. She also exhibits with White Cube, London, and Carlier Gebauer, Berlin.

Statement from the Jury for the 20th BMW Art Car.
Julie Mehretu was unanimously selected in 2018 by a jury of high-ranking representatives of the international art world to design the 20th BMW Art Car. The panel includes renowned curators and museum directors from various countries, including Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town; Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries, London; and Cecilia Alemani, Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director and Chief Curator, High Line Art, New York.

On the occasion of the World Premiere of the BMW Art Car designed by Julie Mehretu in Paris, the jury members published the following statement: "We are thrilled with Julie's BMW Art Car! Okwui Enwezor had already coined the phrase ‘Dynamism in Form’ during our jury session and nothing applies better to her BMW M Hybrid V8 race car. Julie’s first three-dimensional work combines her aesthetics and formal language with the idea of the glitch and the blur, turning speed into a visceral experience. This energetic space is as fierce and competitive in racing as it is ambitious as a creative playground of the imagination. It not only pays homage to the art cars of Jenny Holzer and Frank Stella, but also spins a visual web from Mad Max to graffiti and street art that is unique within the series of BMW Art Cars."

The BMW M Hybrid V8.
The canvas for the 20th BMW Art Car is the BMW M Hybrid V8. The new race car from BMW M GmbH features a hybrid electric drivetrain system with approximately 640 hp, powered by a 4.0-litre V8 engine supported by an electric motor (top speed: up to 345 km/h or 215 mph, depending on the race track layout).

During this year’s official FIA World Endurance Championship races, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will take on high-calibre competition in the Hypercars category. The car will also compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the first BMW M Motorsport prototype to do so since the BMW V12 LMR, which won the classic race in 1999.

The BMW Art Car Collection.
Renowned artists from all over the world have participated in the BMW Art Car program since 1975. The initiative came from the French racing driver and art lover Hervé Poulain, who, together with the then BMW Head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch, asked his artist friend Alexander Calder to paint a car. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL, which competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975 and became a crowd favourite.

This was the birth of the BMW Art Car Collection. In the years that followed, renowned artists such as Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Ólafur Elíasson and Jeff Koons enriched the collection with further BMW Art Cars, each in their own individual style. Most recently, the Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei and American conceptual artist John Baldessari each presented a BMW Art Car based on the BMW M6 GT3 and GTLM respectively in 2016 and 2017. The BMW Art Cars are not only shown at their home, the BMW Museum in Munich, but are also on tour around the world as part of international exhibitions.

Midrand. BMW Group South Africa presented long-term collaborator Dr. Esther Mahlangu with the distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural South African Creative Arts Awards (SACA). As a great honour bestowed upon the recipient, the award recognises Esther Mahlangu’s exceptional contributions and accomplishments over her 50-year career as a contemporary artist.

The new awards ceremony was held at Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday, 30 March. Minister Zizi Kodwa of the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture announced the introduction of the all-encompassing awards celebration last year to recognise individuals who show outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the arts and culture sector.

A story of art and innovation.

Alongside the rest of the country, BMW Group South Africa celebrated Esther Mahlangu’s remarkable journey and legacy. And, more sentimentally, the award handover exemplified the valued partnership between the global automotive giant and the globally acclaimed visual artist that spans over 30 years.

In 1991, BMW Group selected Esther Mahlangu as the 12^th Art Car artist, making her the first African and the first woman commissioned to create a BMW Art Car. The distinctive design on the now-iconic BMW 525i Art Car resulted in a standout moment in the art world, with Esther Mahlangu lending her talent to groundbreaking industrial applications of future automotive designs. Her traditional Ndebele elements, synonymous with her style, feature in subsequent work with the BMW brand.

In retrospect.

Esther Mahlangu’s portfolio reflects bold and contemporary work that is a canvas for her cultural identity. The Iziko Museums of South Africa and BMW Group South Africa proudly announced the commemorative exhibition, titled “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting”: Esther Mahlangu. A Retrospective. Curated by Nontobeko Ntombela, the ongoing exhibition highlights Mahlangu's creative evolution across various media and objects. Central to the retrospective is the BMW 525i Art Car, which makes its return to South Africa after over three decades abroad, where it graced other exhibitions.

The retrospective is a comprehensive overview of Esther Mahlangu’s contribution to the art world and offers insight into the unique intersection of tradition, culture, and modernity. The artist’s impact also extends beyond her collaboration with BMW Group – a recognition that the awards ceremony drives home. The vibrant geometric artwork embodies the richness of South African culture and the unwavering spirit of its people.

BMW Group South Africa Director: Government Affairs and Communications Thilosh Moodally, commented, “We are honoured to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mam’ Esther Mahlangu. We are especially grateful to be in her presence this evening. To witness a living icon – one who has contributed significantly to the innovation that we so greatly believe in – is truly precious. We thank the Minister for introducing this important awards recognition that inspires a nation and beyond. We also thank the country for continuously championing the pioneering work of Mam’ Esther.”

ENDS

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

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Munich/Los Angeles. The BMW Group presents a fusion of art and innovation at the Frieze Los Angeles art fair in the form of the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA. The one-of-a-kind vehicle combines colour-change technology developed by BMW with the artistic language of South African artist Esther Mahlangu. The designer piece, with sections of attached film that can be electronically animated, embodies the latest development in colour-change technology for vehicle surfaces in cooperation with E Ink. The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA celebrates its world premiere at the fair opening on 29 February. The contemporary tribute recalls the BMW Art Car designed by Mahlangu in 1991. “The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA honours the history of the BMW brand and continues the story of our global cultural engagement in a unique way. It combines art and design through progressive technology. Here, technology itself becomes art,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design.

In 1991, Mahlangu designed the 12th BMW Art Car, based on a BMW 525i – becoming the first woman and first African artist to do so. “Her art inspired me years ago, back when the concept of colour change on a car was just an idea in my head,” says Stella Clarke, Research Engineer Open Innovations at the BMW Group. „Now, being able to realise this idea, and work with Esther Mahlangu, is absolutely surreal.” The 88-year-old artist’s signature colours and geometric patterns are perfect for bringing the innovative Flow technology to life in the BMW i5. The versatility of the electrophoretic colour changes makes the fully-electric sedan a dynamic work of art. “It is fascinating to me to see how modern technology can expand my art and make it accessible to a completely new audience,” says Mahlangu.

Mahlangu’s art meets cutting-edge technology.
In the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, which is named after Mahlangu’s first son, sections of film that can be electronically animated are applied, with two strips each across the roof, bonnet and rear section, as well as the vehicle’s sides. Like an e-book reader, there are several million microcapsules in each E Ink film. The structure and arrangement of the colour particles they contain can be changed by applying an electric voltage. This allows the typical colours and patterns of Mahlangu’s art to be generated in constantly changing compositions.

The animations are also accompanied by an equally extraordinary sound, specially composed by Renzo Vitale, the BMW Group's Creative Director, Sound, for the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA. To combine the soundscape of the BMW brand with that of the South African Ndebele culture, Vitale used sequences from Mahlangu’s voice, as well as the sound of the feather brushes she used for painting. These were combined with sounds produced by the colour pencils employed in the BMW design studio and the acoustic signal heard as feedback when operating the BMW i5’s touch display. This created a sound mix that starts off softly at the beginning of each colour change and increases in intensity as the animation progresses.

To accurately recreate every detail of the complex ornamentation, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA has been fitted with 1,349 sections of film, each of which can be individually controlled. The laser cutting process used to trim the film and the electronic control design were developed in partnership with E Ink. The adaptation of the technology for curved surfaces, as well as the programmed animations, are all BMW Group in-house developments.

Overall, colour-change technology is developing rapidly. The BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink presented in 2022 had the ability to switch from white to black at the push of a button. This was followed just one year later by the first multi-coloured implementation. The 240 sections of film applied to BMW i Vision Dee were able to display up to 32 colours. This latest phase of development now enables even more colours and patterns. At the same time, the sections of the film are more robust – which could make potential future series production easier. However, for the time being, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA will remain one of a kind.

Tribute to a pioneering artist and her work.
As a globally respected artist, Esther Mahlangu is known for her Ndebele paintings, whose ornamentation originally symbolised major events or festive occasions. Mahlangu separated the designs from their original meaning and transferred them for the first time to canvas, carpets and everyday objects, thus preserving them for the future. The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA is now reinterpreting this artistic language.

In presenting this designer car at Frieze Los Angeles, BMW continues its long-standing cooperation with the renowned art fair. At the same time, the BMW Art Car that formed the basis for this tribute will also be on display in South Africa for the first time in over 30 years as part of the exhibition hosted by the Iziko Museums of South Africa and the BMW Group in Cape Town “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting”: Esther Mahlangu. A Retrospective. The exhibition, which runs until 11 August 2024, honours the life’s work of one of South Africa’s most influential artists and cultural ambassadors.

In Los Angeles, BMW will once again be presenting Frieze Music in collaboration with Frieze. Since 2019, the joint initiative between the two partners has brought together a large group of musicians at the intersection of music and art. The event’s return to Los Angeles will be celebrated on 29 February with a live performance by Sudan Archives at the Hammer Museum.


If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group South Africa Corporate Communications

Angela Konert

Head of Business Communications

Phone: +27 71 666 2472

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Munich/Cape Town. The Iziko Museums of South Africa and BMW are pleased to announce “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting”: Esther Mahlangu. A Retrospective. The exhibition, curated by Nontobeko Ntombela, highlights Esther Mahlangu’s over 50-year long career and her meteoric rise as a contemporary artist, earning her global acclaim. The retrospective will be on view at Iziko Museums of South Africa from February 18, 2024 until August 11, 2024. From there it will begin its global tour, stopping first at the Wits Art Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, before moving to the United States in early 2026.

BMW is proud to support this landmark exhibition which honours the talent of Esther Mahlangu and celebrates a shared history of collaboration. Included in this exhibition will be Mahlangu’s BMW 525i Art Car, returning to South Africa for the first time in over 30 years. Mahlangu became the first African and woman to paint a BMW Art Car in 1991. This collaboration marked a significant moment in the art world, blending African art with contemporary automotive design.

“Painting has always been a part of me. I cannot separate it from myself, and neither would I want to. I look forward to sharing my practice and long and colourful story with you on my upcoming Retrospective Exhibition”, says Esther Mahlangu.

Through the language of colour and form, the exhibition charts Mahlangu’s contribution to contemporary art close to seven decades. More than 100 artworks have been gathered from global collections. They have been placed alongside historic photographs and a short film. This diverse collection from Mahlangu’s expansive oeuvre which features in “Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting”: Esther Mahlangu. A Retrospective, will offer a comprehensive yet intimate insight into her vast and vibrant career.

“Mahlangu’s journey is a testament to passion, innovation, and resilience”, Curator Nontobeko Ntombela remarks. Continuing, “The retrospective pays homage to Esther Mahlangu's unique approach to art, which intersects African cultures with modernity and the contemporary. The exhibition celebrates Mahlangu’s voice, agency, and pioneering spirit, symbolizing her self-enunciation, self-determination and creativity”, she says.

The retrospective is a landmark achievement for South African art. It recognizes Mahlangu as one of the few South African artists who have had the opportunity to present a Retrospective Exhibition in world-renowned museums. Of the exhibition, Dr Bongani Ndhlovu, Acting CEO, Iziko Museums of South Africa, says: “Iziko Museums is honored to celebrate the living legend, Dr Esther Mahlangu, and to host this colossal showcase where creativity, culture, and aesthetics are fused.” He continues, “Dr. Mahlangu is a living symbol of triumph against adversity. Her approach to art has inspired generations and is a re-affirmation of calls for Africa-centred innovations.”

“The BMW Group's commitment to this exhibition is a testament to our respect and admiration for Dr Esther Mahlangu's pioneering spirit and remarkable contribution to the world of art. This exhibition not only celebrates the incredible journey and legacy of Mam’ Esther but also symbolizes a cherished collaboration that dates back over three decades. We are especially excited about the return of the BMW Art Car to South African soil – a significant symbol of our shared history and appreciation for art that transcends boundaries”, says Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa.

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.

“Then I Knew I Was Good at Painting”:  Esther Mahlangu. A Retrospective

 February 18 – August 11, 2024

Iziko South African National Gallery Government Avenue, Company’s Garden, Cape Town, South Africa

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications                                                           

Angela Konert                                                           

Head of Business Communications                                         

Phone: +27 71 666 2472                                                             

Email: Angela.Konert@bmw.co.za

https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Past collaborations between BMW and Esther Mahlangu
Esther Mahlangu's collaboration with the BMW Group, spanning over three decades, represents a remarkable blend of traditional Ndebele art and modern automotive design, demonstrating an evolving and deep-rooted partnership.

BMW Art Car: The journey began in 1991 when Mahlangu, as the first woman to do so, designed a BMW Art Car. She adorned a BMW 525i with vibrant Ndebele patterns, connecting South African art with automotive design. This project not only showcased her unique artistic style on an international platform but also marked a significant cultural and technological crossover, transitioning from mural painting to the canvas of a modern vehicle.

BMW Individual 7 Series by Esther Mahlangu: In 2016 Mahlangu once again partnered with BMW. This time, she lent her distinctive style to the interior of a BMW 7 Series. Her iconic motifs were meticulously integrated into the wood trims of the luxury sedan, exemplifying a seamless blend of traditional art with contemporary luxury. This unique vehicle, symbolizing the enduring collaboration between Mahlangu and BMW, was revealed at the Frieze in London and later auctioned for charity.

The Mahlangu Phantom: The collaboration took a luxurious turn in 2020 when Rolls-Royce commissioned Mahlangu to create an artwork for the Gallery of a Phantom, named 'The Mahlangu Phantom'. This project elevated her art to the pinnacle of automotive luxury, affirming her status as a respected cultural icon and artist.

50 years BMW Group South Africa: In 2023, as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of BMW Group South Africa, Mahlangu was invited to design a commemorative logo. This logo, infused with her artistic essence, symbolized the half-century milestone of BMW in South Africa and highlighted the long-standing relationship between Mahlangu and the BMW Group. 

The Electric AI Canvas: Also in 2023, Mahlangu's artistic journey with BMW reached a new dimension with the "Electric AI Canvas" project at Art Basel in Basel. Here, her traditional art was transformed through technology, as AI-generated animations based on her designs were projected onto the fully electric BMW i5. This innovative display merged Mahlangu's cultural heritage with the forefront of digital technology, showcasing the dynamic potential of combining traditional art forms with modern innovation.

Throughout these collaborations, Mahlangu's work with BMW has not only elevated her art to a global audience but has also served as a beacon of the harmonious blend of cultural artistry with automotive design, illustrating a unique and enduring relationship.

About Esther Mahlangu

Dr Esther Nostokana Nagiyana Nikwambi Mahlangu is a celebrated South African contemporary artist known for her innovative work that pushes boundaries beyond the traditional mural. Widely recognized as one of the most influential artists across generations, Mahlangu began her artistic journey at the age of ten under the guidance of her grandmother and mother, learning the traditional techniques of Ndebele mural painting. Her contemporary works which span a wide variety of non-traditional surfaces, found objects as well as automobiles, build upon this rich tradition. 

Mahlangu’s participation in the exhibition Magiciens de la Terre (1989) in Paris, shot her to fame, marking the launch of her transition from a communal practice into her own agency as a contemporary artist. Shortly thereafter, in 1991, she became the first woman artist and African to paint a BMW Art Car. Mahlangu has exhibited in over 20 different countries, sometimes with multiple solo shows in at least seventeen different cities. She has painted murals across eight different countries and participated in residency programmes with institutions like Project Row Houses (2005), L’Associazione Culturale Colonos (2009) & Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (2014). Some of her more significant engagements include Documenta IX (1992), the 5th Biennale of Contemporary Art (2000), the 1st Malindi Biennale (2006), the 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art (2009) and Art Basel (2023). Mahlangu has also worked on projects with fashion brands like Comme des Garçons (1991), shoe companies Melissa (2009) and EYTYS (2015). She created the Belvedere (RED) bottle design, which helped fund a campaign against HIV/AIDS (2016). Mahlangu's works are represented in well over 27 public institutions’ collections. And she has been collected by many more private individuals worldwide. She continues her artistic career to this day.    

About Nontobeko Ntombela

Nontobeko Ntombela is a member of faculty at the Wits School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Her academic and curatorial work focuses on modern and contemporary South African art, with a particular interest in, but not limited to, early modern Black women artists. Prior to starting her academic career in 2012, Ntombela worked as a curator for more than a decade in organisations such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery (2010- 2020), Durban University Art Gallery (2005-2010), BAT Centre (2001-2005), and Art for Humanity (2000-2001). Some of Ntombela’s most well-known curatorial projects include, When Rain Clouds Gather: South African Black Women Artist 1940 - 2000 (2022-2023), co-curated with Portia Malatjie at Norval Foundation; The Burden of Memory (2019) – a multiple-site event in the city of Yaoundé Cameroon – co-curated with Rose Jepkorir and Princess Marilyn Douala Bell;  Solo at the Cape Town Art Fair (2018), A Fragile Archive (2013) at JAG, Spectaculaire (2013) Frac des Pays de la Loire Carquefou France, MTN New Contemporaries (2010) at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Art and From Here to There (2007) co-curated with Storm van Rensburg at the Association of Visual Arts (AVA) as part of the CAPE07 fringe programme. She is the co-editor of The Yoni Book, in collaboration with artist Reshma Chhiba (2019). Ntombela has served on various boards and committees for organizations such as the Department of Arts and Culture, VANSA Visual Arts Network of South Africa, National Arts Council, KZNSA KwaZulu Natal Society of Arts, Art for Human Rights Trust, Johannesburg Art Gallery, and UNISA Art Gallery. In 2019, the Melrose Gallery invited Ntombela to curate a worldwide touring show of Dr Esther Mahlangu's work, which begins with this exhibition: Then I knew I was good at painting: Esther Mahlangu, A Retrospective at Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town.

About Iziko Museums of South Africa (Iziko)

Iziko operates 11 national museums, the Planetarium and Digital Dome, the Social History Centre and three collection-specific libraries in Cape Town. The museums that make up Iziko have their own history and character, presenting extensive art, social, and natural history collections that reflect our diverse African heritage. Iziko is a public entity and public benefit organisation that brings together these museums under a single governance and leadership structure. The organisation allows *free access to all individuals on commemorative days, (*excluding the Castle of Good Hope, Groot Constantia and Planetarium and Digital Dome). Iziko regularly provides information about events, news and new exhibitions on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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About The Melrose Gallery
The Melrose Gallery, Esther Mahlangu’s global representative were tasked with implementing her Retrospective Exhibition. The Melrose Gallery is a leading Pan African Contemporary gallery located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The gallery represents established and emerging artists whose voices speak to issues of significance to the Continent of Africa on a global basis. We are passionate about ensuring that the elders who have made a valuable contribution to African Contemporary Art are recognised and continue to be heard. These inspiring stalwarts provide a stable foundation to an exciting young guard of artists who are swiftly emerging from the African Continent and Diaspora to establish themselves globally. We run a curated programme of exhibitions, participate in respected art fairs, support many of our artists in their participation at Biennales and conceptualize and implement significant non-commercial exhibitions in association with leading museums.

The Melrose Gallery
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BMW Group Cultural Engagement

Why Culture? Why not! Culture is knowledge, a sanctuary of beauty and depth, of meaning and peace. An inspiring escape. Tranquil at best, even unsettling sometimes. As corporate citizen, the BMW Group takes social responsibility seriously, as part of which it has been involved in hundreds of cultural initiatives worldwide for over half a century, both in the arts, music & sound, architecture as well as in design. As a long-term partner, creative freedom is key – and as essential for groundbreaking works as it is for major innovations within a business enterprise like ours.

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/overview

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMW-Group-Culture

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/

@bmwgroupculture

#BMWGroupCulture

#drivenbydiversity

The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com
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Munich/Johannesburg. An initiative by FNB Art Joburg and BMW Group South Africa, the BMW Young Collectors Co. was established in 2020 to develop a new generation of art collectors. Opening the BMW Young Collectors Co. programme to the public, The BMW Art Generation brings celebrated, established, and young artists, curators, and academics, from across the world together with collectors to shape, celebrate and protect the future of contemporary African art. Hosted at William Kentridge’s Centre for the Less Good Idea, The BMW Art Generation will give the public access to studios, performance art, live music and a boutique lifestyle market with stalls dedicated to demonstrating the very best in design and food and wine experiences.

Looking to bring leading artists from Africa and the diaspora to explore contemporary African art within the realm of black intellectual tradition, the weekend presents multiple opportunities to create a thought experiment that inserts an African narrative where art meets history and place. Foregrounding an ethos that fosters innovation, community and an Africa that will continue to set standards for the global contemporary art ecosystem, The BMW Art Generation prioritises access through the transference of knowledge, from one generation to another.

“Johannesburg is home to FNB Art Joburg, the longest running contemporary art fair on the African continent. Feeding off the city’s grit, desperation, tenacity and irreverent energy, artists, curators, and cultural policy makers living in or visiting Johannesburg understand its position and growing potential to be the continent’s cultural capital,” says Mandla Sibeko, Managing Director of FNB Art Joburg. “Hosted in central Johannesburg, where culture thrives and informs community’s daily lives, The BMW Art Generation also seeks to reignite engagement and investment dedicated to stimulating and sustaining the city as a natural incubator for contemporary art.”

The BMW Art Generation will welcome the likes of American collector and radiologist, Dr. Joy Simmons; Founder and Director of the Lagos Photo Festival and the African Artists' Foundation (AAF), Azu Nwagbogu; Princeton-based Nigerian artist and historian, Chika Okeke-Agulu; Swiss curator and director at the Serpentine Galleries, Hans Ulrich Obrist and South African artist William Kentridge. A pilgrimage for some and a homecoming for others, the BMW Art Generation is an opportunity for long overdue connections.

Marcelle Duncan, Head of Brand of BMW Group South Africa says, “For over 50 years, the BMW Group have created valuable partnerships within the arts and culture landscape and engaged in over 100 cultural collaborations worldwide. BMW Group South Africa remains committed to showing the importance of corporate cultural responsibility through consistent and intentional investment in contemporary art and design. Our partnership with FNB Art Joburg is a proud relationship, having created great opportunities before and intending to open even more doors now.”

BMW Young Collectors’ Co.
An initiative by FNB Art Joburg and BMW Group South Africa, the BMW Young Collectors Co. was established in 2020 to develop a new generation of art collectors that will collect and buy African art on African soil. By cultivating a fresh perspective on art patronage, the initiative has the power to create a new generation of collectors that will ensure the African art economy continues to grow for generations to come. The BMW Young Collectors’ Co. aims to fill an education and experience void in the field of art collecting, where - in South Africa - the majority of collectors are older than 50 years of age and lack diversity. The initiative affords future generations of collectors access to first-hand experiences with the country’s top artists, galleries and art patrons. This essential programming ensures the continent is growing its Africa art economy for generations to come.

FNB Art Joburg
Based in Johannesburg, FNB Art Joburg is the leading and longest running contemporary African art fair on the continent. FNB Art Joburg plays an instrumental role in developing and sustaining a commercial industry that centres around African and diasporic practitioners. A platform where curatorial and commercial interventions meet, the fair is divided into six specialised sections: gallery HUB, gallery LAB, MAX, ETC, AUX, and ORG sections.

View the full programme: Here is what to expect - A story by FNB Art Joburg

To visit The BMW Art Generation please note that entrance tickets are required:

Friday, September 1, 2023: 6pm (VIP Opening, by invitation only)
Saturday, September 2, 2023: 10am to 6pm (Public Day 1)
Sunday, September 3, 2023; 10am to 6pm (Public Day 2)

Location
The Centre for the Less Good Idea
Arts On Main
264 Fox St & Berea Rd
Maboneng, Johannesburg, South Africa  

To visit FNB Art Joburg please note that entrance tickets are required:

Thursday, September 7, 2023:  6pm to 9pm (VIP Opening, by invitation only)
Friday, September 8, 2023: 11am to 8pm
Saturday, September 9, 2023: 11am to 7pm
Sunday, September 10, 2023: 11am to 5pm

Location
Sandton Convention Centre
Exhibition 2
161 Maude Street
Sandown, Sandton,
Johannesburg, 2196, South Africa

BMW South Africa and Southern Guild gallery received top honours at the 22nd Annual Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Awards, held at Beechwood Gardens in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, on 13 October, winning in both the Innovation and  Strategic Project categories. The annual awards are South Africa’s most prestigious accolades recognising the contributions of the business sector to the arts across all genres.

A total of 11 awards were given out in various categories, two of which went to BMW South Africa and Southern Guild in recognition of their unique programme pairing luxury-class motoring with the best of South African design over the course of 2018. The Innovation Award celebrates the most innovative and progressive partnership in all mediums of creativity while the Strategic Project Award recognises an outstanding initiative, with the best use of a project that is an integral part of the sponsor’s business strategy.

“BMW is thrilled to join its partner Southern Guild as a two-time winner in the BASA Awards for 2019. BASA has long championed companies that work not only in the economy of our country but also the heart and soul of the arts. Our long-standing partnership with Southern Guild is a source of pride for all of us at BMW, and we are excited to be part of the awards,” said Thilosh Moodally, General Manager: BMW Customer, Brand & Channel Development at BMW Group South Africa.

Now in its second year, the partnership between BMW and Southern Guild centres on a series of activations aligning a different luxury-class BMW vehicle to each exhibition at the Cape Town gallery, located in the Silo District of the V&A Waterfront. During 2018 alone, the partnership produced a total of 14 activations, from commissioned artworks and special installations inside the gallery to bespoke VIP experiences and film productions. This translated into just over R1 million in commissions and work that directly benefited the South African design community.

“At a time when retail markets are under immense pressure globally, BMW’s support of Southern Guild demonstrates a nimble understanding of the role that design can play in our economy,” said Trevyn McGowan, co-founder of Southern Guild. “With its focus on excellence, innovation and high-performance design, BMW stimulated the production of new work and had a tangible impact on the local industry.

BMW has demonstrated a long-term commitment to modern and contemporary art internationally. The partnership with Southern Guild enabled it to cement that reputation for South African audiences, who have not experienced the cultural programmes BMW sponsors in Europe, the US and elsewhere. In turn, Southern Guild’s global reputation was enhanced by the association with BMW, as one of the world’s premium automotive manufacturers.

Ends.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to € 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a workforce of 134,682 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

BMW Group websites:

www.bmwgroup.com

www.bmw.co.za

www.mini.co.za

www.bmwmotorrad.co.za

www.bmwdrivertraining.co.za

Social Media Pages:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup (BMW South Africa, BMW Motorrad SA, MINISouthAfrica).

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Munich. “I love this car. It’s more successful than the artwork,” was the opinion of Andy Warhol after his sweeping brush strokes had transformed the BMW M1. It took him less than half an hour to create the fourth exhibit in the BMW Art Car Collection. 40 years later, enthusiasm for the mid-engined sports car remains unabated. Already world-famous at that time, the US icon of Pop Art shared the same passion with many automobile fans of that bygone era. And the fascination of the unique special created by Warhol has indeed increased. Many fans regard his Art Car as the highlight of the entire collection. It’s therefore hardly surprising that Munich-based automobile photographer Stephan Bauer spontaneously opted for the BMW M1 finished in the Warhol design when he was selecting his dream subject on four wheels. Last year, Bauer (29) emerged as the victor in the Social Media Contest “Shootout 2018” organised by BMW Group Classic and he was given the opportunity for an exclusive photo shoot with BMW Art Car Number Four. A series of photos was created to mark the 40th birthday of the BMW M1 designed by Andy Warhol. They provide a completely new perspective on one of the most legendary vehicles from the history of BMW.

Five photographic artists entered their best shots from the world of BMW classic cars in the “Shootout 2018” competition held on the Instagram social media platform. BMW Group Classic joined forces with BMW Culture, BMW Motorsport, BMW M GmbH and BMW subsidiary companies in several international markets for the joint project. It focused the attention of young target groups on the numerous motor-sport successes and record chases with vehicles and engines from BMW over the past 100 years. The prize for the winner was an enthralling photo shoot with a vehicle of their choice from the comprehensive collection of BMW Group Classic. The choice of the winner fell on the BMW M1 in the powerful 470 hp racing version produced in conformity with Group 4 regulations. 40 years ago, this automobile both celebrated its sporting debut in the Procar Series and entered the annals of Pop Art history.

Against the backdrop of an old factory building in Cologne, Stephan Butler choreographed a spectacular contrast between the brightly coloured Art Car and the dour grey of the abandoned industrial structure. At a subsequent outdoor session, laser search lights shrouded the BMW M1 in a positively mystical atmosphere. In both settings, the Art Car kept emerging from a completely new perspective – and always to perfection. The results of the photo shoot are posted on the Facebook page of BMW Group Classic and on the Instagram Account of BMW Group Classic.

Andy Warhol’s Art Car proved to be a dream subject for the recent photo shoot in Cologne. The artist himself made things much more difficult for the photographers. 40 years ago, the cameras had hardly been set up when Warhol had already finished painting the bodywork in all the colours of the rainbow. As the artist explained later, his speed was a reflection of the statement made by his work of art: “I attempted to show speed as a visual image. When an automobile is really travelling fast, all the lines and colours are transformed into a blur.”

Very soon after the last brush stroke had been applied, the BMW M1 styled by Warhol demonstrated just how fast an artwork can be. In June 1979, the BMW M1 emblazoned with start number 76 competed in the 24 Hour Race of Le Mans. German driver Manfred Winkelhock, and Frenchmen Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot drove the Art Car to second place in its class and achieved a ranking of six in the overall standings.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to € 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a workforce of 134,682 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

Saint-Tropez/Munich. On the occasion of Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation’s (LDF) Fourth Annual Saint-Tropez Gala, BMW France had the pleasure to donate a BMW i3, designed by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari of TOILETPAPER, for the yearly fundraising auction. After some intense bidding, the unique artwork and fully functioning electric vehicle went to a Swiss collector for the amount of €100,000.

The gala was hosted by LDF Founder and Chairman Leonardo DiCaprio, foundation CEO Terry Tamminen and the Global Fundraising Chairman Milutin Gatsby, honoring the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. Event Chairs included Prince Albert II of Monaco, Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard, Philippe Cousteau, Penélope Cruz, Tom Hanks, Kate Hudson, Doutzen Kroes, Jared Leto, Tobey Maguire, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Uma Thurman and Kate Winslet. Among the guests in attendance were Adrien Brody, Sean Penn, Taylor Hill, Iman Hamman and Gerard Butler. For the international guests, American artist Lenny Kravitz performed on site. Additionally, there was a surprise performance by Madonna.

Vincent Salimon, CEO BMW Group France is delighted that “our commitments to sustainable development and support for contemporary creation come together to raise funds for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. The BMW i3 "Spaghetti Car" was created by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari on the initiative of BMW France and the Rencontres d'Arles, BMW partnered for 8 years. The donation of this unique work for the Foundation's annual charity gala in Saint-Tropez reflects once again the company's culture: daring, innovating, creating in complete freedom, in a responsible and sustainable spirit.”

Auctioneer Simon de Pury, together with curator Lisa Schiff of SFA Advisory oversaw the sale of dozens of original works by internationally renowned artists such as Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Urs Fischer, Paul McCarthy, Adrian Ghenie, Rudolf Stingel and current BMW Art Journey recipient Max Hooper Schneider.

With $30 million raised so far, the auction continues online to benefit LDF programs. Please visit: http://www.2017ldfauction.org/en.

The BMW i3 “Spaghetti Car” On the occasion of the Rencontres d’Arles Festival of Photography in 2016, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan (*1960) created a BMW i3 (60 Ah) “rolling sculpture” together with the photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari (*1971). In 2009 Cattelan and Ferrari co-created TOILETPAPER, a bi-annual picture-based publication. For the exterior of the BMW i3, TOILETPAPER employed their signature style spaghetti close-up imagery. Cattelan remarked upon his work: “This is by far the best Spaghetti Car I have tasted! All those years of perfecting definitely paid off! Totally awesome!”

Maurizio Cattelan is considered one of the most significant artists of his time, with major exhibitions at international museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Centre Georges Pompidou as well as the Guggenheim Museum in New York. His sculpture “Him” (2001) sold at auction at Christie’s in 2016 in excess of $17m. Within the same year, he installed “America”, a solid 18-karat gold toilet in the Guggenheim Museum’s restroom, free of use for the public. Cattelan is a four-time participant of the Venice Biennial.

From Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein to Robert Rauschenberg and Jeff Koons, BMW has been collaborating with artists creating Art Cars for almost half a century. The BMW i3 series was launched in 2014 as part of the BMW i brand, standing for visionary vehicle concepts and technologies, connected mobility services as well as a new understanding of premium defined by sustainability. The “Spaghetti Car” by TOILETPAPER is a fully functioning electric vehicle and came with a certificate of authenticity signed by TOILETPAPER (Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari) as co-creators of this unique work of art.

About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim, Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In 2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and 145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately € 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31 December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

BMW Group websites:

www.bmwgroup.com

www.bmw.co.za

www.mini.co.za

www.bmwmotorrad.co.za

www.bmwdrivertraining.co.za

Social Media Pages:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup (BMW South Africa, BMW Motorrad SA, MINISouthAfrica).

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup (@BMW_SA, @BMWMotorradSA and @MINISouthAfrica).

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview (BMW South Africa and BMW Motorrad SA.