Cao Fei and John Baldessari to Create the Next BMW Art Cars

Racing tradition to be continued with the BMW M6 GT3.

The Luxonomist. 27/11/2015

Following commissions by Jenny Holzer (1999), Olafur Elíasson (2007) and Jeff Koons (2010), the BMW Art Car 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.

BMW 6 — The BMW M6 GT3, the base model for the 18th and 19th BMW Art Car, at the announcement event for the new BMW Art Car artists Cao Fei and John Baldessari at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, announced the collaboration at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in front of 150 select guests. 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.

BMW 1 — The BMW Art Car by Alexander Calder (1975) at the announcement event of the two new BMW Art Car artists Cao Fei and John Baldessari at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

“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,” said Ian Robertson during the presentation.

BMW 3 — Cao Fei, the 18th BMW Art Car artist, inside the BMW M6 GT3.

“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.” said Cao Fei.

BMW 5 — John Baldessari, the 19th BMW Art Car artist, at the announcement event at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

«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.” said John Baldessari.

BMW 2 — Cao Fei, the 18th BMW Art Car artist, Hervé Poulain, initiator of the BMW Art Car Collection, Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director, in front of the BMW M6 GT3 at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

With their commitment Cao Fei and John Baldessari will be joining the ranks of renowned artists such as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and David Hockney.