BMW Art Cars are closely related to BMW motorsport heritage and are evaluated at millions of euros. The collection is impressive and features important designers names like Jenny Holzer (1999), Olafur Elíasson (2007), Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney and Jeff Koons (2010).
The BMW Art Cars series will now be continued on the occasion of the series’ 40th anniversary. A jury of distinguished museum directors and curators chose two internationally renowned artists to design one car each. Chinese artist Cao Fei (1978) and American artist John Baldessari (1931) will be the youngest and the oldest artist represented in the collection respectively.
Both artists will create a BMW M6 GT3 in the coming year. The newly-designed vehicles will then be presented in museums in 2017, while also having to prove themselves on the racetrack.
Iar Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said: “On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the BMW Art Car Collection, it is time to look ahead. The collection is the embodiment of the cultural commitment of the BMW Group – its vehicles stand for the combination of cutting-edge technology and inspiring art. We are very proud to expand the series with two works by such renowned artists”.
“I’m thrilled to be able to join the magnificent list of BMW Art Car artists. Acceleration, a concept that reminds me of my desire for speed as a runner during the Young Pioneers days, is deeply connected to the entangled contemporary relationships between velocity, energy, and the country.”
"I was honored to have many of my respected peers recommend me as a BMW Art Car artist. Creating art that exists outside of a museum is important to me, and should be a goal for all artists. This will definitely be my fastest artwork yet.”
