BMW Art Cars

What are the BMW Art Cars if not an amazing testimony of man’s willingness to compete and to perform, to achieve and to create? Each and every one of them is a miracle of artistic endeavour, technological advancement and beautiful design. The idea for the BMW Art Cars was neither a marketing nor a PR initiative. Rather it was borne out of a passion for fast cars and contemporary art that was shared by Hervé Poulain, race driver and art aficionado, and Jochen Neerpasch, director of BMW Motorsports. Their meeting inspired the Art Car series, which all began with the 3.0 CSL, painted by Alexander Calder in 1975. When it competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the greatest endurance race on the planet, it was cheered on by the crowds the moment it left the pit. From that moment till now, a great many artists, from Warhol to Lichtenstein, from Koons to Eliasson, from Holzer to Cao Fei, have all created their own specific artistic take on speed and mobility. The BMW Art Cars are but an example of this fascination with all things mobility. As rolling sculptures they are also a testimony to the design and the art of a particular day and age. Our perception of them will change in time as car design is now exploring the intricacies of autonomous driving and even flying automobiles. Artists are ready for this challenge. Chinese artist Cao Fei, working on her own M6 GT3, in tandem with John Baldessari, took the entire series into the next century by using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, and by programming an app and creating a short film, all to be exhibited alongside her pitch-black race car. There is more to come. Exploration and curiosity are not only what drives BMW, but are also empowering the Art Car series.