BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons
German automaker BMW is celebrating 40 years of its renowned Art Car collection by displaying a number of the unique cars designed by famous artists at various locations around the world, including Hong Kong, Paris and Lake Como, Italy.
The Art Car Collection began in 1975 when French racecar driver Hervé Poulain requested a customized BMW designed by American artist Alexander Calder, sparking a popular tradition of artistic collaborations that the automaker has continued to this day. The 40th Anniversary of the Art Car Collection highlights BMW’s commitment to creativity in all areas, and while the cars are not available for purchase, they serve to remind consumers of the brand’s visual flair.
“The idea of the BMW Art Cars was born in 1975 out of a joint passion for both love and motorsports – by race driver Hervé Poulain and BMW Motorsports director Jochen Neerpasch,” said Dr. Thomas Girst, head of cultural engagement, BMW, Munich. “We have a great responsibility for the series, one of them being that we let the collection time to grow with additions by the best artists alive and honor the racing tradition.
“We owe this to the Art Car’s great trajectory through the decades," he said.
Artist in residence
Over the past 40 years, 17 famous artists from around the world have created BMW Art Cars. The first car was designed in 1975 by Alexander Calder, who was famous for his kinetic sculptures known as mobiles.
The Art Car by Alexander Calder on display at the Concorso d’Eleganza
Other famous artists who have designed Art Cars over the years include Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney and Ólafur Elíasson. The most recent car was designed in 2010 by American artist Jeff Koons, who is known for his large, metallic sculptures and who recently had a popular retrospective exhibit at the Whitney Museum in New York.
The exhibition at the Concorso d’Eleganza in Lake Como, Italy
This year, the 40th Anniversary celebration will feature exhibitions around the world, including at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the BMW Museum in Munich and the Concorso d’Eleganza in Lake Como, Italy. From May 22-24 the first four BMW Art Cars by Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, along with the most recent car by Jeff Koons, were on display at these locations.
In the upcoming months, BMW plans to continue exhibiting Art Cars in New York, Miami and Shanghai. Hosting these Art Car exhibitions at locations around the world ensures that many of BMW’s consumers will have the opportunity to view one of the cars in person.
Closeup image of the Art Car by Jeff Koons
Art and about
BMW has strengthened its relationship with the art world over the last 40 years since the Art Car was first introduced. The German automaker participates in numerous art fairs around the world.
For example, in 2014 BMW supplemented its official partnership of Art Basel Miami Dec. 4-7 with a number of initiatives that elevated the brand’s visibility among the ultra-affluent consumers roaming about.
The brand’s Art Car series commanded the respect of both auto and art enthusiasts around the world as top artists including Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer, Olafur Eliasson and Jeff Koons have designed vehicles. The Lichtenstein BMW 320 Group 5 helped BMW gain credibility among the many guests who took advantage of the brand’s other offers (see story).
BMW has recently been expanding its participation to include other initiatives aside from the Art Car Collection. For instance, the German automaker continued its support of the arts by partnering with The European Fine Arts Fair in Maastricht, Netherlands earlier this year.
The 28th annual TEFAF took place from March 13-22, and BMW offered a unique program of seminars and tours as well as provided transportation at the event. The automaker took on this partnership in previous years, and by continuing to support the fair, the brand highlighted its commitment to cultural engagement outside of its commercial sphere (see story).
BMW’s commitment to the arts remains one of the brand’s most distinguishing features, and the 40th Anniversary of the Art Car Collection is a good time to reminisce.
“BMW has been active in the arts for almost half a century with hundreds of initiatives worldwide,” Dr. Girst said. “The celebration of the BMW Art Cars is one gem of many with which we position the brand in the arts.
“All artists have complete creative freedom to do what is that they wish to do. In ancient pre-Socratic times there was but one word for great achievements in both engineering and the arts: techné.”
Final Take
Kay Sorin, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York