BMW India as Presenting Partner of India Art Fair 2023. Second “The Future is Born of Art” commission on display. BMW Art Talk entitled “Raw and Radical”.

New Delhi. India Art Fair, the leading platform showcasing modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, takes place from February 9-12, 2023, at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi. Led in partnership with BMW India and with artists’ voices at its centre, the fair presents 85 exhibitors, including 71 galleries and 14 institutions. With India set to become the world’s fifth-largest economy, the expansion of its art market has grown in parallel with India Art Fair at its helm.

Building on the success of the last edition, the 2023 fair is the most ambitious to date, with expanded floorspace to showcase South Asia’s greatest talent, spanning cutting-edge contemporary art and modern masters, and an extended Studio presenting the fair’s Digital Artist in Residence programme. The fair will be a meeting ground for collectors, curators and art professionals, strengthening cultural dialogue and ties with the international art scene.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India: “BMW Group’s social sustainability commitment has always valued and nurtured various cultural engagements and co-operations globally and in India. Our resolve to strengthen intercultural platforms of creativity in the fields of art, music, design and architecture has flourished into long term partnerships with leading art and cultural platforms in the country. BMW India is delighted to present the latest edition of the India Art Fair and the Future is Born of Art commission for connoisseurs for art and automobiles.”

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director of India Art Fair: “This year, the India Art Fair raises the bar, boldly presenting its most ambitious edition to date. With an expanded programme of galleries, talks, performances, workshops, a new all-womxn artist posterzine, and the first-ever Young Collectors Hub in the city, the fair sets the stage for powerful artists’ voices to be heard loud and clear. As the market for Indian and South Asian art continues to expand, we invite visitors to immerse themselves in a world of creativity, and to embrace and proudly own their culture.”

“The Future is Born of Art”
“The Future is Born of Art” is an initiative by BMW India and India Art Fair which aims to propel emerging Indian artists and further BMW Group’s commitment to promote art, sustainability and innovation. BMW India will showcase its second commission based on the theme “Forwardism” on the new BMW X7. 

With her design for the BMW X7, the winner of the prestigious ‘‘The Future is Born of Art” Commission, Devika Sundar presents a breathtaking vision of the future. Titled “Boundless”, she blends the human body, cosmos and ocean into an imaginative universe in her artwork, reminding us of our shared humanity and collective interdependence.

Shortlisted artists for the commission, which promises to boost emerging Indian names to a global stage, also included Aditi Aggarwal, Rithika Pandey and Sajid Wajid Shaikh. The shortlist for the Commission was selected by a jury that represents some of the most influential voices in Indian art — Dr. Deepanjana Klein, the Director of Acquisitions and Development at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, acclaimed artist duo, Shalini Passi, collector and founder of MASH, and Jaya Asokan, Fair Director at India Art Fair. The winning artist and design were chosen by the jury and an open public poll on India Art Fair’s website and Instagram channel.

BMW Art Talk: “Raw and Radical”
BMW Art Talk on the theme of “Raw and Radical” was hosted at the India Art Fair on February 10, 2023. Four trailblazing artists Mithu Sen, Jayashree Chakravarty, Benitha Perciyal and Diana Al-Hadid shared their inspiring journeys, the process of pushing the boundaries of creativity and producing ground-breaking work in a candid conversation with Prof. Dr Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement at the BMW Group.

At this year’s edition of the India Art Fair, BMW India furthermore exhibits the first-ever fully electric BMW i7– a true all-electric luxury sedan that clearly demonstrates how an exclusive driving experience can be combined with an unwavering commitment to sustainability. The i7 offers all-electric innovation, visionary design, and powerful driving dynamics so that you can make a striking impression everywhere you go. Built for the luminaries with next-level style and substance, it is undeniably alluring from the inside out.

BMW Group Cultural Engagement in India
Since its inception, BMW India has participated in leading cultural engagements across the country. In 2007, two BMW Art Cars created by world renowned artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein were presented at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. BMW Art Cars by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Sandro Chia and Cesar Manrique have been exclusively showcased at various editions of the India Art Fair.

Since 2012, BMW has partnered with Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the contemporary art exhibition, which brings international artists to India and creates a global platform for Indian artists. In 2012-13, the innovative BMW Guggenheim Lab came to India. Based at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and conducted at six different venues in Mumbai, the lab organised six weeks of free programmes with diverse audiences and communities addressing the challenges and conditions of the urban city.