Masterpiece of Art and Automobile: BMW Group brings the 17th BMW Art Car to India.

New Delhi. BMW Group India will present the 17^th BMW Art Car created by the most renowned American artist Jeff Koons. His creation will be exclusively exhibited from 9-12 February 2018 at the India Art Fair in New Delhi. Jeff Koons created the 17^th Art Car for BMW in 2010 with the BMW M3 GT2.

The BMW Art Cars or the ‘Rolling Sculptures’ are original masterpieces of art that demonstrate an individual synthesis of artistic expression and automobile design. Since 1975, 19 international artists have created Art Cars based on contemporary BMW automobiles of their times, all offering a wide range of artistic interpretations.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “At BMW we just don’t build fascinating cars, but also build and strengthen intercultural platforms that help foster multidisciplinary exchange of inspiring dialogues in the field of art, music, design and architecture. Designed by outstanding artists of their time, BMW Art Cars are exceptional examples of the point where fascinating technology, design, cars and art intersect. With an exclusive showcase of the BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons at India Art Fair, we bring yet another coveted masterpiece closer to connoisseurs and patrons of art. Visitors will be able to discover the design and creative process of the 17^th BMW Art Car at the India Art Fair 2018.”

The BMW Art Cars are an indispensable component and a core platform of BMW Group’s cultural engagement. They are unique creations combining automobiles, technology, design and art.

BMW Art Car Collection

For over 40 years, BMW Art Car Collection has fascinated art and design enthusiasts as well as lovers of cars and technology with its unique combination of fine art and innovative automobile technology. Several cars from BMW Art Car Collection are usually on display at the BMW Museum in Munich, the home of BMW Art Cars, as part of its permanent collection. The remaining BMW Art Cars travel the globe – to art fairs as well as exhibitions.

The BMW Art Car collection was born when French race car driver and art aficionado Hervé Poulain, together with Jochen Neerpasch, then BMW Motorsport Director, asked his artist friend Alexander Calder to design an automobile. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL, which competed in 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975, where it quickly became the crowd’s favourite. Since then, 19 international artists have designed BMW models, among them some of the most renowned artists of our time: Alexander Calder (BMW 3.0 CSL, 1975), Frank Stella (BMW 3.0 CSL, 1976), Roy Lichtenstein (BMW 320 Group 5, 1977), Andy Warhol (BMW M1 Group 4, 1979), Ernst Fuchs (BMW 635CSi, 1982), Robert Rauschenberg (BMW 635CSi, 1986), Michael Jagamara Nelson (BMW M3 Group A, 1989), Ken Done (BMW M3 Group A, 1989), Matazo Kayama (BMW 535i, 1990), César Manrique (BMW 730i, 1990), A. R. Penck (BMW Z1, 1991), Esther Mahlangu (BMW 525i, 1991), Sandro Chia (BMW M3 GTR, 1992), David Hockney (BMW 850CSi, 1995), Jenny Holzer (BMW V12 LMR, 1999), Ólafur Eliasson (BMW H2R, 2007), Jeff Koons (BMW M3 GT2, 2010), John Baldessari (BMW M6 GT3) and Cai Fei (BMW M6 GT3).

The BMW Art Car Collection is by no means complete as it stands. The number of exhibits will continue to grow, adding artistic expressions to the collection.

#17 BMW Art Car Jeff Koons 2010 BMW M3 GT2

The germination of Koon’s collaboration with BMW began in 2003, when he expressed his desire to create BMW Art Car. Known for his heartfelt appreciation of cars, Koons’ creative process for BMW Art Car mirrors techniques, some borrowed from transportation design and development, which he regularly employs for his artistic production. For example, in the creation of Koons’ monumental sculptures, his studio uses 3-D CAD models to evaluate the surfaces, assembles them via methods found in bike chop shops, and paints them in a manner based on sophisticated automotive painting techniques.

As part of his creative process, the artist collected images of race cars, related graphics, vibrant colors, speed and explosions. The resulting artwork of bright colors conceived by Koons is evocative of power, motion and bursting energy. Its silver interior along with the powerful exterior design, imparts a dynamic appearance even when it’s standing still.

“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power”.

In an intense collaboration with BMW’s team in Munich for months, Koons melded his skill with sophisticated BMW engineering – to ensure that the 17th BMW Art Car was race-ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010.

The artist worked with the BMW engineering and design teams to conduct in-depth explorations of materials and application options that proved to be crucial in optimizing both the aesthetic and aerodynamic attributes of the race car. He worked with actual 3-D computer-aided design (CAD) models of the BMW M3 GT2 to simulate the application of the graphic to the car’s surfaces and evaluate it from all angles.

Koons even donned a helmet and joined BMW’s Rahal Letterman Racing Team for testing in Sebring, Florida. His experience the M3 GT2 at race speed further inspired his design. As Koons describes it, he witnessed “the raw unfiltered performance” of the M3 GT2 from the seat of a historic BMW M1 race car. Koons also drove a BMW M3 Coupe on the circuit to further the dynamic exercise.

Under Koons’ direct guidance and supervision, his BMW Art Car was produced in assistance with a team of BMW engineers and designers at Schmid Design in Bavaria. The challenge to create the BMW Art Car had to do with using a light material and a design that would not interfere with the racecar's aerodynamics and weight. Timing was also an issue, as there was only a two-month window between the first design sketches and the Paris world premiere. This is why digital print on car wrapping vinyl was used covered by a double clear coating to bring out the color. To apply hundreds of dynamic lines of Koons' design onto the car, CAD designs were translated from 3D into 2D for the printing process and then painstakingly applied to the entire car as well as onto individual spare parts. Koon’s design incorporates many bright contrasting colors to communicate the aesthetics of power. The concept design was transformed into hard-edged lines of color. Graphics of debris were added to the rear sides and back of the car to simulate the power of the car. Furthermore, two graphic rings on the rear of the car represent supersonic acceleration.

Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons, one of the most celebrated artists of our time, was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1955. Mr. Koons work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY), Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY), Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY), The National Gallery (Washington, DC) and many others.

About BMW’s Cultural Commitment

Since its inception, BMW Group India has participated in leading cultural engagements across the country. In 2007, two BMW Art Cars embellished by world renowned artists Andy Warhol (BMW M1, 1979) and Roy Lichtenstein (BMW 320i, 1977) were presented at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. Since 2012, BMW has partnered with Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the contemporary art fair, 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 sites in Mumbai, the lab organised six weeks of free program with diverse audience and communities addressing the challenges and conditions of the urban city.

For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural co-operations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim, Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the ‘Opera for All’ concerts in Berlin, Munich and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.

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