Munich. The BMW Museum in Munich is using a special exhibition taking place as part of the international BMW Art Car World Tour to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of both the legendary BMW Art Car Collection and the iconic BMW 3 Series. The exhibition will open its doors to visitors from 17 June, hot on the heels of the Le Mans 24 Hours race weekend. Fittingly, it was at Le Mans in 1975 that the first BMW Art Car – created by Alexander Calder – staged its glittering premiere. The exhibition, which runs until 1 February 2026, will see the BMW Museum present a trio of Art Cars based on the BMW 3 Series: Sandro Chia’s BMW M3 GTR and the BMW M3 (Group A) cars designed by Michael Jagamara Nelson and Ken Done respectively.

The exhibition at the BMW Museum – the home of the BMW Art Cars when they are not on display at destinations around the globe – is one of the attractions of the ongoing BMW Art Car World Tour, the largest exhibition project yet in the 50-year history of the collection. The Tour has so far visited 12 markets on five continents, and will continue to showcase the legendary BMW Art Cars across numerous art and car platforms, and at institutes worldwide, over the coming year. The BMW Museum will use the special exhibition to provide insights into the artistic brilliance and history of the BMW Art Car Collection, as well as inviting visitors to explore the technical excellence of the 3 Series and the innovative power of the BMW brand.

50 years of driving pleasure: the BMW 3 Series 
Since it first hit the roads in 1975, the BMW 3 Series has served as a byword for driving pleasure and a cornerstone for the success of BMW. Across five decades, it has reimagined the concept of the sports sedan, set new standards for performance and put smiles on the faces of millions of drivers around the world. From the groundbreaking first generation to today’s innovative models, the 3 Series has been an enduring, style-defining feature of the automotive landscape.

50 years of “rolling sculptures”: the BMW Art Car Collection
Since 1975, renowned artists from countries the world over have gone to work creating BMW Art Cars. The idea was the brainchild of French racing driver and art lover Hervé Poulain, who teamed up with BMW’s then Head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch to invite friend and artist Alexander Calder to paint a design onto a car. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975, becoming a darling of the crowd – and marking the birth of the BMW Art Car Collection. Famous names including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer and Ólafur Elíasson have since added further BMW Art Cars bearing their own individual style to the collection. More recently, the American John Baldessari and Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei used the BMW M6 GTLM and BMW M6 GT3 respectively as a canvas for their takes on the BMW Art Car concept in 2016 and 2017. They therefore joined Jeff Koons and Julie Mehretu in applying their creativity to dynamic racing cars in the last 15 years.

BMW Art Cars at the BMW Museum from 17 June
BMW M3 Group A by Ken Done (1989):
Australian artist Ken Done created a vibrant and richly coloured design that captures the energy and dynamism of motor racing. His work represents a homage to the speed and power of the BMW M3.

“It was a great honour to be asked to be part of this fabulous Art Car collection. I wanted to express the joy of speed and the brilliance of the machine itself.” Ken Done

BMW M3 Group A by Michael Jagamara Nelson (1989):
Michael Jagamara Nelson, also from Australia, brought the traditions of Aboriginal art to the bodywork of the BMW M3. His complex motifs using dot painting techniques tell Dreaming stories that are deeply rooted in the culture of his people.

“A car is a landscape as it would be seen from a plane – I have included water, the kangaroo and the opossum.” Michael Jagamara Nelson

BMW M3 GTR by Sandro Chia (1992):
Italian artist Sandro Chia transformed a BMW M3 GTR into a painting on wheels that depicts human figures and emotions in vivid colours. His work symbolises the connection between man and machine, and invites us to reflect on the role of the car in modern society.

“I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world.” Sandro Chia

The 10th BMW Art Car, a BMW 730i designed by Spanish artist César Manrique in 1990, is also on show at the BMW Museum as part of its permanent exhibition.

For more information, please visit:
BMW Art Cars im BMW Museum
BMW Art Car World Tour

If you have any questions, please contact:
Lisa Meindl
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Spokesperson BMW Museum und BMW Welt
Phone: +49-89-382-31668 
E-Mail: Lisa.Meindl@bmw.de

Ilya Baryshev
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Spokesperson, BMW Art Car World Tour
Telefon: +49-151-601-544-36
E-Mail: Ilya.Baryshev@bmwgroup.com

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, #16 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

Further information on the BMW Art Car Collection can be found here.

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  

Parijs/München. De 20e BMW Art Car wordt vandaag voor het eerst aan het grote publiek voorgesteld in het Centre Pompidou te Parijs. Het project, dat is ontworpen door de bekende hedendaagse kunstenares Julie Mehretu uit New York, transformeert de BMW M Hybrid V8 racewagen in een performatief kunstwerk en zet een lange traditie van BMW Art Cars en competitieracen voort. Slechts een paar weken na de wereldpremière in de Franse hoofdstad zal de nieuwste editie in de legendarische BMW Art Car collectie deelnemen aan de 24 uur van Le Mans.

“Het hele BMW Art Car project gaat over uitvinden, over verbeeldingskracht, over het verleggen van grenzen van wat mogelijk is. Ik zie deze auto niet als iets dat je tentoonstelt. Ik zie hem als iets dat in Le Mans zal racen. Het is een performatief schilderwerk. Mijn BMW Art Car is gemaakt in nauwe samenwerking met motorsport- en ingenieursteams,” zegt Julie Mehretu. “De BMW Art Car is pas af als de race voorbij is.”

De samenwerking tussen BMW en Julie Mehretu omvat ook een gezamenlijk engagement voor een reeks pan-Afrikaanse translokale mediaworkshops voor filmmakers, die in 2025 en 2026 langs verschillende Afrikaanse steden zullen reizen en zullen uitmonden in een grote tentoonstelling in het Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Kaapstad.

“De BMW Art Cars zijn een essentieel onderdeel van onze wereldwijde culturele betrokkenheid. Al bijna 50 jaar werken we samen met kunstenaars die net zo gefascineerd zijn door mobiliteit en design als door technologie en autosport. Julie Mehretu's visie op een racewagen is een uitzonderlijk sterke bijdrage aan onze BMW Art Cars serie,” aldus Oliver Zipse, voorzitter van de Raad van Bestuur van BMW AG. “Julie Mehretu heeft meer gecreëerd dan een verbazingwekkende Art Car. Haar ideeën waren voor ons de stimulans om het culturele engagement van onze Art Cars uit te breiden om de creativiteit van jonge kunstenaars in Afrika te bevorderen.”

Een performatief schilderij is ontstaan.

Ruimte, beweging en energie zijn altijd centrale motieven geweest in het werk van Julie Mehretu. Voor het ontwerp van de 20ste BMW Art Car transformeerde ze voor het eerst een tweedimensionale afbeelding in een driedimensionale weergave, waarmee ze erin slaagde dynamiek in vorm te brengen. Julie Mehretu gebruikte het kleur- en vormvocabulaire van haar monumentale schilderij “Everywhen” (2021 - 2023) als uitgangspunt voor haar ontwerp. Het werk is momenteel te zien op de grote overzichtstentoonstelling van de kunstenares in het Palazzo Grassi in Venetië en zal daarna deel uitmaken van de permanente collectie van het Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, waaraan het is geschonken.

De abstracte visuele vorm is het resultaat van digitaal bewerkte foto's, die zijn over elkaar heen gelegd in verschillende lagen van puntrasters, neonkleurige sluiers en de zwarte markeringen die kenmerkend zijn voor Mehretu's werk. “In de studio waar ik het model van de BMW M Hybrid V8 had, zat ik gewoon voor het schilderwerk en ik dacht: Wat zou er gebeuren als deze auto door dat schilderij heen lijkt te gaan en erdoor beïnvloed wordt,” vertelt Julie Mehretu. “Het idee was om een remix te maken, een mash-up van het schilderij. Ik bleef het schilderij als het ware in de auto zien druppelen. Zelfs de nieren van de auto inhaleerden het schilderij.”

BMW Art Cars met Le Mans historie komen samen op het Concorso d'Eleganza.

De samensmelting van beeld en voertuig werd gerealiseerd met behulp van 3D mapping, waarmee het motief werd overgebracht op de contouren van het voertuig. Dankzij de uitgebreide foiling kan de volledig ontworpen BMW M Hybrid V8 deelnemen aan de 24 uur van Le Mans. BMW Motorsport-coureurs Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Robin Frijns (NED) en René Rast (GER) zullen op 15 juni deelnemen met de 20e BMW Art Car op het Circuit de la Sarthe onder startnummer 20. Net als zij kijkt ook Julie Mehretu ongeduldig uit naar de race: “Ik heb de BMW M Hybrid V8 race in Daytona gezien en deze ervaring was overweldigend. Ontwerpers, ingenieurs, aerodynamici en zoveel andere creatieve geesten zijn bezig om dit voertuig tot het uiterste te drijven. Als hij nu het circuit op gaat, gaan er zoveel dromen in vervulling.”

In de aanloop naar de racedag maakt de BMW Art Car van Julie Mehretu een verschijning op het Concorso d'Eleganza in Villa d'Este aan het Comomeer, op weg naar Le Mans. Als onderdeel van de tentoonstelling voor historische voertuigen georganiseerd door de BMW Group en het Grand Hotel Villa d'Este, zal Julie Mehretu zelf de 20e editie van de BMW Art Car Collection voorstellen. Deze zal te zien zijn op het terrein van de Villa Erba, samen met de BMW Art Cars van Alexander Calder (1975), Frank Stella (1976), Roy Lichtenstein (1977), Andy Warhol (1979), Jenny Holzer (1999) en Jeff Koons (2010), die ook hun racedebuut maakten in Le Mans. Julie Mehretu zal de creatie van de 20ste BMW Art Car bespreken in een artist talk met Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design, op zondag 26 mei 2024.

Inspiratie voor jonge kunstenaars: Pan-Afrikaanse translokale mediaworkshops.

De samenwerking tussen BMW en Julie Mehretu werd vanaf het begin opgevat buiten de automobiel. Ze zal na de 24 uur van Le Mans uitmonden in een project voor opkomende kunstenaars op het Afrikaanse continent: De Pan-Afrikaanse Translokale Media Workshops. Samen richten de partners zich op het creatieve potentieel op het Afrikaanse continent, waar de BMW Group al meer dan 50 jaar een bijdrage levert aan sociale verantwoordelijkheid met educatieve projecten.

Julie Mehretu en Mehret Mandefro, Emmy-genomineerde producer, schrijver en medeoprichter van het Realness Institute, dat werkt aan het versterken van het media-ecosysteem in Afrika, zullen in 2025 workshops organiseren in verschillende Afrikaanse steden en regio's. Het doel van het project is om kunstenaars en filmmakers een ruimte te bieden om samen te werken en ideeën uit te wisselen. Deze bijeenkomsten zullen een forum bieden voor kunstenaars om nieuwe wegen te ontwikkelen naar een rechtvaardige burgerlijke toekomst in hun respectievelijke gemeenschappen.

De PanAfrikaanse workshopreeks Translocal bezoekt de steden Dakar (Senegal), Marrakech (Marokko), Kigali (Rwanda), Lagos (Nigeria) en Kaapstad (Zuid-Afrika). De resultaten van de workshops worden samen met de 20e BMW Art Car gepresenteerd in het Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Kaapstad in de eerste helft van 2026.

De BMW Group zet zo zijn decennialange steun aan film en creatief talent consequent voort: van de korte filmserie 'The Hire' en het partnerschap met het Internationale Filmfestival van Cannes tot de aankoop van werken van studenten uit kunstacademies in de buurt van de fabrieken van het bedrijf wereldwijd.

De kunstenares.

Julie Mehretu is een wereldberoemde Amerikaanse schilderes. Ze is in 1970 geboren in Addis Abeba, de hoofdstad van Ethiopië. Samen met haar familie verhuisde ze op zevenjarige leeftijd naar de Verenigde Staten. Ze woont en werkt in New York City en Berlijn.

Mehretu's schilder-, teken- en prentkunst betrekken de kijker bij een dynamische visuele articulatie van de hedendaagse ervaring, een weergave van sociaal gedrag en de psychogeografie van de ruimte door het verkennen van palimpsests van de geschiedenis, van geologische tijd tot een hedendaagse fenomenologie van het sociale.

Mehretu behaalde haar Bachelor's Degree aan de Kalamazoo College in Michigan, bracht een jaar in het buitenland door aan de Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal, en voltooide haar Master's degree in Fine Art met onderscheiding aan de Rhode Island School of Design in 1997. Mehretu heeft talrijke prijzen ontvangen, waaronder de MacArthur Award (2005), de Berlin Prize: Guna S. Mundheim Fellowship aan de Amerikaanse Academie in Berlijn (2007) en de U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts Award (2015). Een mid-career overzicht van Mehretu's werk toerde onlangs van 2019 tot 2023 door LACMA (Los Angeles), High Museum (Atlanta) The Whitney Museum of American Art (New York) en The Walker Museum of Art (Minneapolis). Haar grootste Europese solotentoonstelling tot nu toe getiteld “Ensemble” opende 17 maart 2024 in het Palazzo Grassi in Venetië.

Mehretu is lid van de American Academy of Arts and Letters, de American Academy of Arts and Sciences en de National Academy of Design. Haar wereldwijde vertegenwoordiger is Marian Goodman Gallery. Ze stelt ook tentoon bij White Cube, Londen, en Carlier Gebauer, Berlijn.

Verklaring van de jury voor de 20th BMW Art Car.

Julie Mehretu werd in 2018 unaniem geselecteerd door een jury van hooggeplaatste vertegenwoordigers van de internationale kunstwereld om de 20e BMW Art Car te ontwerpen. De jury bestaat uit gerenommeerde curatoren en museumdirecteuren uit verschillende landen, waaronder Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director en Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA, Kaapstad; Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director van de Serpentine Galleries, Londen; en Cecilia Alemani, Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Directeur en hoofdcurator van High Line Art, New York.

Ter gelegenheid van de wereldpremière van de BMW Art Car ontworpen door Julie Mehretu in Parijs, publiceerden de juryleden de volgende verklaring: “We zijn erg blij met Julie's BMW Art Car! Okwui Enwezor had tijdens ons juryberaad al de uitdrukking 'Dynamiek in Vorm' bedacht en niets is beter van toepassing op haar BMW M Hybrid V8 racewagen. Julie's eerste 3D werk combineert haar esthetiek en vormentaal met het idee van de glitch en de blur, waardoor snelheid een viscerale ervaring wordt. Deze energieke ruimte is even fel en competitief in de racerij als ambitieus als creatieve speeltuin van de verbeelding. Het is niet alleen een eerbetoon aan de kunstauto's van Jenny Holzer en Frank Stella, maar spint ook een visueel web van Mad Max tot graffiti en straatkunst dat uniek is binnen de serie BMW Art Cars.”

De BMW M Hybrid V8.

Het canvas voor de 20e BMW Art Car is de BMW M Hybrid V8. De nieuwe racewagen van BMW M GmbH heeft een hybride elektrische aandrijflijn met ongeveer 640 pk, aangedreven door een 4,0-liter V8-motor die wordt ondersteund door een elektromotor (topsnelheid: tot 345 km/u of 215 mph, afhankelijk van de lay-out van het circuit).

Tijdens de officiële races van het FIA World Endurance Championship neemt de BMW M Hybrid V8 het dit jaar op tegen topcoureurs in de categorie Hypercars. De auto zal ook deelnemen aan de 24 uur van Le Mans - het eerste prototype van BMW M Motorsport dat dit doet sinds de BMW V12 LMR, die de klassieke race in 1999 won.

De BMW kunstwagencollectie.

Gerenommeerde kunstenaars uit de hele wereld hebben sinds 1975 deelgenomen aan het BMW Art Car programma. Het initiatief kwam van de Franse autocoureur en kunstliefhebber Hervé Poulain, die samen met de toenmalige BMW Head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch zijn bevriende kunstenaar Alexander Calder vroeg een auto te beschilderen. Het resultaat was een BMW 3.0 CSL, die in 1975 meedeed aan de 24 uur van Le Mans en een publiekslieveling werd.

Dit was de geboorte van de BMW Art Car Collection. In de jaren daarna verrijkten gerenommeerde kunstenaars als Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Ólafur Elíasson en Jeff Koons de collectie met nog meer BMW Art Cars, elk in hun eigen stijl. Onlangs nog presenteerden de Chinese multimediakunstenaar Cao Fei en de Amerikaanse conceptuele kunstenaar John Baldessari in 2016 en 2017 elk een BMW Art Car op basis van respectievelijk de BMW M6 GT3 en GTLM. De BMW Art Cars worden niet alleen tentoongesteld in hun thuisbasis, het BMW Museum in München, maar zijn ook op tournee over de hele wereld als onderdeel van internationale tentoonstellingen.

De BMW Group

Met zijn vier merken BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce en BMW Motorrad is de BMW Group wereldwijd de grootste premium fabrikant van auto's en motorfietsen en biedt het bedrijf ook financiële en mobiliteitsdiensten van topklasse. Het productienetwerk van BMW Group bestaat uit meer dan 30 productielocaties wereldwijd; het bedrijf heeft een wereldwijd verkoopnetwerk in meer dan 140 landen.

In 2023 verkocht BMW Group wereldwijd 2,55 miljoen auto’s en meer dan 209.000 motorfietsen. De winst voor belastingen bedroeg in het boekjaar 2023 € 17.1 miljard op een omzet van € 155,5 miljard. Op 31 december 2023 had de BMW Group 154.950 medewerkers in dienst.

Het succes van de BMW Group is altijd gebaseerd geweest op langetermijndenken en verantwoord handelen. Het bedrijf heeft al in een vroeg stadium de koers voor de toekomst uitgezet en maakt duurzaamheid en efficiënt beheer van hulpbronnen consequent centraal in zijn strategische richting, van de toeleveringsketen via de productie tot het einde van de gebruiksfase van alle producten.

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CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

BMW kondigde vandaag in het Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City een samenwerking aan met de wereldberoemde New Yorkse kunstenares Julie Mehretu om de 20ste BMW Art Car te creëren. Mehretu werd unaniem verkozen door een internationale jury van museumdirecteuren en curatoren en krijgt de volledige creatieve vrijheid om het volgende onderdeel van de BMW's legendarische collectie "rolling sculptures" te ontwerpen. Hieronder het volledig persbericht in het Engels. 

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Munich/New York. BMW announced a collaboration today at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City with internationally renowned New York-based artist Julie Mehretu to create the 20th BMW Art Car. Mehretu was unanimously chosen by an international jury of museum directors and curators, and will be given total creative freedom to design the next instalment in BMW’s legendary collection of ”rolling sculptures”. BMW will enter Mehretu’s BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car in the 24 Hour race of Le Mans in June 2024. This continues an almost 50-year tradition that has delighted not only motorsport enthusiasts but anyone into design or the arts, technology and mobility. Since 1975, artists such as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei, and John Baldessari have created racing cars for BMW.

“I've loved cars for most of my life, as toys, as objects, as possibilities. It is from that space that I'm really excited to be working on the next BMW Art Car more than anything,” stated Julie Mehretu. “The thrill of the speed, the 24 Hour race of Le Mans and what is possible to invent in hybrid and fully electric vehicles as future modes of play and pushing ahead into new terrains of transportation and motorsports.”

”The BMW Art Car Collection is a central element of our global cultural commitment, which has been in place for more than 50 years," said Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate, at the presentation in New York. ”The combination of technology and art, of design and motorsport sparks a timeless fascination. I have admired Julie Mehretu's work for many years. I am particularly pleased that our cooperation will have a lasting cultural impact beyond the vehicle she has designed, especially in Africa.”

An artistic concept beyond the car: Translocal Media Workshop Series in 2025
The collaboration between BMW and Julie Mehretu will not only leave its mark on the Le Mans racetrack.

There are far and few spaces on the continent of Africa where artists can convene, exchange, and experiment in ways that foster collaboration across local contexts. Julie Mehretu and Mehret Mandefro, Emmy-nominated producer, writer and co-founder of the Realness Institute which aims to strengthen the media ecosystem across Africa, will host a series of gatherings in eight African cities over the course of nine months to open up space for artists to meet, exchange, and collaborate in translocal ways. These workshops have the sole intention of opening up a forum for the artists to consider new pathways to implementing just civic futures in their respective local communities and harness the power of the translocal collective.

The methodology of these workshops is based on the Exodus Media Workshop (EMW) which is an arts education laboratory initiated by Denniston Hill that focuses on the inter-dependent inventions of image making and representation in the media. The workshop begins from the shared intention that we must disentangle self-being from its mediated depiction, and that our identities can be reclaimed and reshaped by our own standards.

The outcome and 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 2025.

The artist.
Julie Mehretu was born in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, in 1970. Together with her family she moved to the USA at the age of seven. She received her B.A. from Kalamazoo College, Michigan, graduated from The Rhode Island School of Design with a Masters of Fine Arts degree in 1997, and also spent a year studying at Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar Senegal. In exploring palimpsests of history, from geological time to a modern-day phenomenology of the social, her paintings, prints and drawings engage the viewer in a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience, a depiction of social behavior and the psychogeography of space. 

Mehretu has been running a studio in New York since 1999. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the MacArthur Award and the US Department of State Medal of Arts Award. A representative survey of her work has been exhibited at LACMA (Los Angeles), the High Museum (Atlanta), the Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), and the Walker Museum of Art (Minneapolis) from 2019 to 2023. In 2021, Julie Mehretu became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Design.

Julie Mehretu is represented globally by Marian Goodman Gallery, and also exhibits with White Cube, London, and Carlier Gebauer, Berlin.

Statements of the jury. Unanimous nomination.
Julie Mehretu was unanimously chosen to design the 20^th BMW Art Car in 2018 by an international jury from the art world with an outstanding reputation based on their experience and expertise in leading positions at major museums and galleries. It is composed of the following personalities:

• Cecilia Alemani, Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director and Chief Curator, High Line Art, New York
• Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, New York
• Anton Belov, Director, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow
• Anita Dube, artist and curator Kochi-Muziris-Biennale 2018
• Yilmaz Dziewior, Director, Museum Ludwig, Cologne
• Okwui Enwezor (1963 – 2019), former Director, Haus der Kunst, Munich 
• Massimiliano Gioni, Edlis Neeson Artistic Director, New Museum, New York
• Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
• Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town
• Matthias Mühling, Director, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus und Kunstbau, Munich
• Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries, London
• Hervé Poulain, Initiator BMW Art Car Collection and CEO Artcurial
• Stephanie Rosenthal, Director, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi

Madeleine Grynsztejn, Pritzker Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago:
“Julie Mehretu is the perfect artist for this early 21st century. To merge her work with the shape and form of a speeding vehicle is really an alignment of perfection. For years, Julie has painted speed and for a long time worked very successfully at scale. This means to me that she will be able to create a form that you can see from a distance because with many of her large commissions, you need to back up to really enjoy them. She has an understanding of space and speed that is a perfect partner to the BMW Art Car.”

Koyo Kouoh, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town:
“I think that Julie Mehretu’s practice combines a sprawling visuality with a political background. She will be the perfect artist to really moderate this tension about race, technology, car, velocity and bring it into a form that is legible for the wider public.”

Okwui Enwezor (1963 - 2019), former Director, Haus der Kunst, Munich:
“Julie Mehretu’s work incapsulates different questions of movement. She expresses dynamism within a form. It is a very clear and sound understanding of how the object acts in space. And I think this really makes it a very exciting proposition to have an artist of her calibre who has the long-standing experience to take on this project.”

Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries, London:
“Julie Mehretu creates paintings which very often go beyond the canvas. Her practice is very interdisciplinary and of course, that’s exactly what will happen with the BMW Art Car. The artists do not just develop ideas alone in their studio, but in dialogue with many people in the company and particularly with the engineers, the inventors and the designers.”

Cecilia Alemani, Donald R. Mullen, Jr. Director and Chief Curator, High Line Art, New York:
“I think Julie is a wonderful artist who has been able to bring the three-dimensionality of our reality into the two-dimensionality of paintings and flat surfaces. She is someone that has been looking at our cities, the speed of our culture, vectors and velocity and these are all themes that resonate with the BMW Art Car. Her project for the BMW Art Car will be compelling and bring together all these aspects into this wonderful platform.”

Stephanie Rosenthal, Director, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi:
“Julie Mehretu is mainly known for large-scale two-dimensional works which are based on speed, space, creating and imagining space. And so now working with the BMW Art Car really will extend, I think, her experience of working with a three-dimensional object and kind of implementing her idea of space, and also probably become a form of futurist architecture exploring technology. And, therefore, I think she’s a brilliant pick.”

The BMW M Hybrid V8.
The canvas for the 20th BMW Art Car is the BMW M Hybrid V8. BMW M GmbH's new competition car in endurance racing features a hybrid drive system with around 640 hp, whose 4.0-liter V8 engine is supported by an electric motor (max speed: up to 345 kph/215 mph, depending on track layout). This makes the prototype race car, which weighs just 1,030 kilograms, the poster child for typical M performance and the fascination with electrified drives.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 is currently competing successfully in the GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class of the North American IMSA endurance racing series. BMW M Motorsport will also return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in the 2024 season. In the races for the official FIA World Endurance Championship, the BMW M Hybrid V8 will face top-class competition in the Hypercars category. This means that the BMW M Hybrid V8 will also be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – the first BMW M Motorsport prototype since the BMW V12 LMR won the classic in 1999.

The BMW Art Car Collection.
Since 1975, renowned artists from all over the world have been designing BMW Art Cars. The initiative came from French racing driver and art lover Hervé Poulain, who, in collaboration with then Head of BMW Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch, asked his artist friend Alexander Calder to paint an automobile. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975, where it became a crowd favorite. 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 added further BMW Art Cars to the collection, each in their own individual style. Most recently, Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei and American John Baldessari each presented a BMW Art Car based on the BMW M6 GT3 in 2016 and 2017. The BMW Art Cars are not only shown at their home, the BMW Museum in Munich, but also travel around the world as part of international exhibitions.

Munich. BMW M as contemporary art – in the wake of the further development of BMW Individual, the BMW M GmbH will be presenting its latest collaboration: a multi-tiered project with eminent international contemporary artist FUTURA 2000; the partnership will debut at Frieze Los Angeles 2020. In this collaboration, FUTURA 2000, who is known for his mastery of color, concentric forms, and kinetic composition, will create three exclusive and unique versions of the BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption: 10.0 l/100 km; combine CO2 emissions: 227 g/km) in his unmistakable style, whilst also designing a limited-edition of the BMW M2 Competition which is scheduled for public purchase in June 2020. One of the hand-painted BMW M2 by FUTURA 2000 vehicles will celebrate its world premiere at the second Frieze Los Angeles—being held at the Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood from 13 to 16 February.

“The BMW M2 Competition is dynamic, extroverted and, to a certain degree, pleasantly provocative. I consider it a great honour to be able to add a special touch to this vehicle,” says FUTURA 2000. Markus Flasch, CEO BMW M GmbH, adds:  "We are very proud of having been able to gain such an internationally well-known artist as FUTURA 2000 for the collaboration on the three unique one-offs of the  BMW M2 Competition. I’m already looking forward very much to seeing how he transforms our M2 into the edition intended for our customers. With his unique, constructive and rebellious style, Futura is perfectly suited to a young and wild automobile such as the BMW M2 Competition."

The artist will work extensively on the three unique versions of the BMW M2 by FUTURA 2000 both on the exterior and in the interior. The limited-production models will also bear his unique signature. The trim strips on the instrument panel and the centre console of each vehicle boast a special, individually created FUTURA 2000 design. The bi-coloured, Dakota leather M sports seats in black and ivory white feature polar blue contrast stitching. In addition, the interior package includes an M Alcantara leather-clad sports steering wheel with a grey 12 o’clock marking and special door sill trims bearing the consecutive limited-edition number and a Futura signature. From the outside, the BMW M2 Edition designed by FUTURA 2000* is recognisable by the painted surfaces on the front and rear aprons and the side sills. Moreover, each car is fitted with 19-inch jet black light alloy wheels.

Frieze Los Angeles joined Frieze New York, Frieze London and Frieze Masters at the forefront of the international art fair calendar last year, celebrating Los Angeles’ position as a global arts center and destination. The annual contemporary art fair features around 70 L.A.-based and international galleries, alongside a site-specific program of talks, music and commissioned artist projects organized in collaboration with leading curators. Frieze Los Angeles is led by Victoria Siddall, Director, Frieze Fairs, and Bettina Korek, Executive Director, Frieze Los Angeles.

In celebration of their long-term partnership, BMW partners with Frieze to present Frieze Music, co-curated by writer and curator Kevin McGarry and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries London, in association with NeueHouse. The event will feature Moses Sumney, Caroline Polachek, Zsela as well as DJ Uwuqi and takes place on Friday, 14 February, at 9 p.m. at NeueHouse Hollywood.

Soho House and BMW i will host an art talk on Wednesday, 12 February, where contemporary artist FUTURA 2000 and rapper Lupe Fiasco will talk about “Sights and Sounds”, moderated by writer Arty Nelson. As always, the joint event focusses on the fertile ground between art, innovation and design and is followed by a cocktail reception. As part of an ongoing collaboration, Soho House and BMW i have co‑created an international program of events and experiences focusing on art, innovation and design throughout Soho House locations across the world.

FUTURA 2000, born Leonard Hilton McGurr, established himself as a pioneer when graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem in the 1980s. He quickly became known for his radical approach in the street, introducing abstraction to an entirely letter based discipline, and found himself as part of a wider art movement that included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Dondi White, and Rammellzee. Aside from his decades long career as a contemporary artist, he has achieved great success as a commercial artist, being commissioned by the likes of several well-known brands.

With the one-offs and the BMW M2 Edition designed by FUTURA 2000*, the BMW M GmbH is setting trends both in the high-performance vehicle sector and the art scene alike. The BMW M2 Competition is a truly successful model for the BMW M GmbH. The high-performance athlete positioned in the premium compact class is powered by a dual-charged, straight six-cylinder with M TwinPower Turbo Technology and 302 kW (410 hp), and was again the best-selling BMW M automobile and most popular model in its segment in 2019. In the readers’ voting for the “sportiest cars of 2019” held by the magazine “sport auto”, the BMW M2 Competition asserted itself in the category “Coupes up to 75,000 Euros” and clinched the “sport auto” Award 2019 with 32.1 percent of the votes and clearly ahead of the competition. 

* specific parts are individually hand painted, the final look and layout can be slightly different than shown in the pictures.

CO2 EMISSIONS & CONSUMPTION.

BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption: 10.0 l/100 km; combine CO2 emissions: 227 g/km).

Munich. In the wake of the further development of BMW Individual, BMW M GmbH will be presenting its latest collaboration, a multi-tiered project with eminent international contemporary artist FUTURA 2000. The partnership will debut at Frieze Los Angeles 2020. In this collaboration, FUTURA 2000, who is known for his mastery of colour, concentric forms, and kinetic composition, will create three exclusive and unique versions of the BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption: 10.0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 227 g/km) in his unmistakable style, whilst also designing a limited-edition series of the BMW M2 Competition which is scheduled for public purchase in June 2020. One of the hand-painted BMW M2 by Futura vehicles will celebrate its world premiere at the second Frieze Los Angeles – being held at the Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood from 13 to 16 February.

FUTURA 2000, born Leonard Hilton McGurr, established himself as a pioneer when graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem in the 1980s. He quickly became known for his radical approach on the street, introducing abstraction to an entirely letter based discipline, and found himself part of a wider art movement that included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Dondi White. Aside from his decades-long career as a contemporary artist, he has achieved great success as a commercial artist, collaborating with several well-known brands.

With the unique BMW M2 by Futura and the BMW M2 Edition Futura, BMW M GmbH is setting trends both in the high-performance vehicle sector and the art scene.

About Futura 2000

FUTURA 2000, born Leonard Hilton McGurr, became a pioneer when graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem in the 1980s. Known for his radical approach in the street, he introduced abstraction to an entirely letter-based discipline. His work caught attention in the 1980s, and he found himself as part of a wider art movement that included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Dondi White. Entirely self-taught in what he calls “the subway school”, FUTURA 2000 has been compared to Kandinsky for his mastery of colour, concentric forms, and kinetic composition—and friends Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Rammellzee for his progressiveness and of-the moment dynamism.

Radical then, his methodology can now be viewed over a span of decades as something consummately pure. When compared to many street artists who have come along since its seminal moment in the 1980s New York, FUTURA 2000’s work still stands apart for its subtlety, use of white space, and elemental quality. Insight and proficiency have kept him relevant for 40+ years with no signs of slowing down. He has also achieved great success as a commercial artist, having collaborated with several well-known brands.

About BMW Group Cultural Engagement

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, Moscow and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. As part of its art programme “Muse”, Rolls-Royce partners for the initiative “The Dream Commission” with two internationally esteemed art institutions. Together with Fondation Beyeler and Serpentine Galleries, emerging and established artists are invited to submit a moving-image work that delivers an immersive sensory experience. The artists are nominated and chosen by renowned personalities of the art world like Daniel, Birnbaum, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Cao Fei, and Theodora Vischer. BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities for granted – as this initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

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

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 2019, the BMW Group sold over 2,520,000 passenger vehicles and more than 175,000 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.

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Ter gelegenheid van het jaarlijkse liefdadigheidsgala van de Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) in Saint-Tropez had BMW Frankrijk het plezier om een BMW i3, ontworpen door Maurizio Cattelan en Pierpaolo Ferrari van TOILETPAPER, te schenken. Het unieke kunstwerk en de tevens volledig elektrische wagen ging uiteindelijk naar een Zwitserse verzamelaar voor het bedrag van €100.000.

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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.

For event images please refer to: www.picdrop.de/gettyentertainment

(© Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)

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.

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Group-Culture-925330854231870/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/

@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 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.

www.bmwgroup.com

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview

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München/New York. Na ontwerpen van Jenny Holzer (1999), Olafur Elíasson (2007) en Jeff Koons (2010) krijgt de BMW Art Car reeks nu een vervolg. Ter gelegenheid van de 40ste verjaardag van de reeks koos een jury van vooraanstaande museumdirecteurs en curatoren twee internationaal vermaarde kunstenaars om elk één wagen te ontwerpen. De Chinese kunstenaar Cao Fei (*1978) en de Amerikaanse kunstenaar John Baldessari (*1931) worden respectievelijk de jongste en de oudste kunstenaar in de collectie. Op 19 november en in aanwezigheid van de kunstenaars kondigde Ian Robertson, lid van de raad van bestuur van BMW AG, de samenwerking aan in het Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in het bijzijn van 150 selecte gasten. De beide artiesten zullen volgend jaar een BMW M6 GT3 creëren. De nieuw ontworpen wagens worden dan in 2017 voorgesteld in musea, terwijl ze zich ook op het circuit moeten bewijzen. “Bij de 40ste verjaardag van de BMW Art Car Collection is het tijd om vooruit te kijken. De collectie is de belichaming van het culturele engagement van de BMW Group – haar wagens staan voor de combinatie van geavanceerde technologie en inspirerende kunst. Het vult ons met trots dat we de reeks kunnen uitbreiden met twee werken van zulke gerenommeerde kunstenaars,” zei Ian Robertson tijdens de voorstelling.

Commentaar van de kunstenaars

 “Ik ben ontzettend blij dat ik deel mag uitmaken van de schitterende kunstenaars van BMW Art Cars. Acceleratie, een concept dat mij doet denken aan mijn verlangen naar snelheid als loper tijdens de Young Pioneers dagen, is nauw verbonden met de verstrengelde hedendaagse relaties tussen snelheid, energie en het land.”

Cao Fei

 “Het is voor mij een grote eer dat mijn geachte collega's mij als kunstenaar voor BMW Art Cars hebben aanbevolen. Ik vind het belangrijk om kunst te creëren die ook buiten het museum een bestaan heeft, iets waar alle kunstenaars naar zouden moeten streven. Dit wordt ongetwijfeld mijn snelste kunstwerk tot nu toe.”

John Baldessari

 Met hun werk zullen Cao Fei en John Baldessari de rangen vervoegen van vermaarde kunstenaars als Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg en David Hockney.

De jury

De experts die het werk jureerden, waren Richard Armstrong, directeur, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), Chris Dercon, directeur, Tate Modern (Londen), Juan Gaitán, directeur, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo (Mexico City), Gabriele Horn, directeur, KW Institute of Contemporary Art (Berlijn), Udo Kittelmann, directeur, Nationalgalerie Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Dr. Matthias Mühling, directeur, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus (München), Hans Ulrich Obrist, co-directeur, Serpentine Gallery (Londen), Shwetal A. Patel, Kochi-Muziris Biennale (India), Beatrix Ruf, directeur, Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam), Bisi Silva, Director, The Centre for Contemporary Art (Lagos), Philip Tinari, directeur, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Bejing) en Adam D. Weinberg, directeur, Whitney Museum of American Art (New York).

 
In verband met de nominaties zei de jury het volgende over haar keuze:

“We zijn ervan overtuigd dat de beide voorgedragen kunstenaars – elk met hun eigen benadering – de bestaande collectie van de BMW Art Cars met unieke en nieuwe facetten kunnen verrijken. Cao Fei is in China een van de meest beloftevolle en krachtigste kunstenaars van haar generatie. Voor haar werk aan de 18de BMW Art Car kijken we vooral uit naar de manier waarop ze de wagen tot een fantasierijk deel van haar parallel universum maakt. John Baldessari is een prominente pionier en grondlegger van een hele kunstscène in LA. Als “seriële” uitvinder blijft hij ons verrassen en we kijken met spanning uit naar het onverwachte moment waarop hij naar buiten komt met de 19de BMW Art Car”.

De BMW M6 GT3

In 2016 zal de BMW M6 GT3 aan de top staan van de reeks wagens die in het BMW raceprogramma voor klanten beschikbaar zijn. Hij wordt aangedreven door een V8-motor van 4,4 liter met M TwinPower Turbo-technologie, die voor de competitie licht werd aangepast. De krachtbron heeft een dry sump-smering en levert maximaal 585 pk – terwijl de hele wagen nog geen 1.300 kilogram weegt. Andere technische kenmerken zijn het aandrijfconcept met transaxle, sequentiële raceversnellingsbak met zes versnellingen en krachtige autosportelektronica. De aerodynamische eigenschappen van het koetswerk werden in de windtunnel van BMW geoptimaliseerd. De ingenieurs hebben minutieus gewerkt aan de nauwkeurige afstemming van de BMW M6 Coupé, die de basis vormde voor de nieuwe wagen en al perfect geschikt was voor rondjes op het circuit.

Jens Marquardt, directeur BMW Motorsport: “Het is fantastisch dat de traditie van de BMW Art Car reeks zal worden voortgezet met de BMW M6 GT3. Autosport en de BMW Art Cars waren altijd al heel nauw met elkaar verbonden. Onze racewagens in de speciale ontwerpen van bekende kunstenaars hebben een cultstatus bij het grote publiek. Ik ben ervan overtuigd dat dit ook zo zal zijn voor het werk van Cao Fei en John Baldessari. Natuurlijk willen we met de BMW M6 GT3 Art Cars strijden om de overwinning. Deze combinatie van kunst en sportprestaties op het circuit is echt uniek.”

De BMW Art Car collectie

Sedert 1975 hebben kunstenaars uit de hele wereld Art Cars ontworpen op basis van de BMW wagens van hun tijd. De collectie werd ingeluid toen de Franse racepiloot en kunstliefhebber Hervé Poulain in samenwerking met de huidige directeur van BMW Motorsport, Jochen Neerpasch, zijn vriend en kunstenaar Alexander Calder vroeg een auto te ontwerpen. Het resultaat was een BMW 3.0 CSL, die in 1975 aantrad in de 24 Uren van Le Mans en meteen een publiekslieveling werd: de BMW Art Car Collection was geboren. In 2010 werd de recentste telg van de reeks, een wagen ontworpen door Jeff Koons, voorgesteld in het Centre Pompidou in Paris. BMW Art Cars worden niet alleen geshowd in hun thuishaven in het BMW museum in München, maar reizen ook de wereld rond naar tentoonstellingen en musea in Azië, Europa en Noord-Amerika. In 2014 verscheen de eerste uitgebreide publicatie over de collectie. Meer informatie vindt u op http://bit.ly/1JSDssV

Op 12 juni om drie uur in de namiddag zal de legendarische 24 uur van Le Mans officieel van start gaan. Een hoogtepunt is ongetwijfeld de deelname van Jeff Koons’ 17de BMW Art Car, die afgelopen week werd voorgesteld in Parijs. In april kondigde BMW Motorsport Directeur Mario Theissen reeds de pilotenverdeling voor de 24 uur van Le Mans aan. Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) en Dirk Werner (DE) zullen de BMW Art Car #79 besturen. Jörg Müller (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR) en Uwe Alzen (DE) zullen achter het stuur kruipen van de BMW Le Mans #78. In bijlage vindt u het volledige Engelstalige persdossier.

De 17e BMW Art Car is maandagavond onthuld in het Centre Pompidou in Parijs. Jeff Koons, bekend van kunstwerken als ‘Balloon Dog’ en ‘Hanging Heart’, trok het doek van de door hem beschilderde BMW M3 GT2 ten overstaan van 300 internationale vipgasten. Gisteren was de auto nog te zien in het openbare Forum van Centre Pompidou. In het weekend van 12 en 13 juni neemt Koons’ Art Car deel aan ’s werelds beroemdste autosportevenement: de 24 uur van Le Mans. Het startnummer (79) van het kunstwerk met een 500 pk sterke 4-liter V8 onder de motorkap, is een eerbetoon aan de Art Car van Andy Warhol uit 1979. In bijlage vindt u het volledige Engelstalige persdossier.

Analoog met eerdere samenwerkingen met kunstenaars als Calder, Stella, Lichtenstein, Warhol en Holzer heeft BMW vandaag aangekondigd dat de 17e Art Car, ontworpen door Jeff Koons, zal deelnemen aan de 24 uur van Le Mans op 12-13 juni. De wereldberoemde Amerikaanse kunstenaar gebruikte een BMW M3 GT2 als canvas die werd gehomologeerd om te strijden op ’s werelds beroemdste autosportevenement. Koons zal zijn creatie onthullen en signeren op 1 juni 2010 in het Centre Pompidou te Parijs – net zoals kunstenaar Roy Lichtenstein in 1977. In bijlage vindt u het volledige Engelstalige persdossier.