Olafur Eliasson returns to BMW's racing roots for its latest Art Car
![BMW's Art Car Collection](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8jWf8twjRsaY8SPseqLgHP-415-80.jpg)
Since 1975, outstanding artists from across the globe have collaborated with BMW in its Art Car Collection. Reflecting the cultural development of art, design and technology, the series has seen the likes of Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and David Hockney each make a unique artistic statement about the appearance and meaning of cars in their era.
Initially the Art Car concept was developed by auctioneer and racing driver Herve Poulain, and thus the collection was born. In fact, it was his friend and artist Alexander Calder who created the first design, transforming Poulain’s BMW racing car into a work of art, which he later raced at Le Mans.
With such an enthusiastic response from the audience and car fanatics from this first design, BMW established its Art Car Collection. Although initially using racing cars that had participated in the Le Mans 24-hour race, BMW later branched out and included its production cars.
The latest addition to the Art Car Collection comes in the form of Olufar Eliasson’s BMW H2R project. Returning to the series’ racing roots, Eliasson has transformed the hydrogen-powered car, and is currently being exhibited in ‘Your mobile expectations H2R project’ as part of his retrospective show at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Alexander Calder, Art Car, 1975, BMW 3.0 CSL. Initially the Art Car concept was developed by auctioneer and racing driver Herve Poulain, and thus the collection was born. In fact, it was his friend and artist Alexander Calder who created the first design, transforming Poulain’s BMW racing car into a work of art (pictured), which he later raced at Le Mans
Frank Stella, Art Car, 1976, BMW 3.0 CLS
Ken Done, Art Car, 1989, BMW M3 group A racing version
Ken Done, Art Car, 1989, BMW M3 group A racing version
Matazo Kayama, Art Car, 1990, BMW 535i
Alexander Calder, Art Car, 1975, BMW 3.0 CSL
Roy Lichtenstein, Art Car, 1977, BMW 320i group 5 racing version
César Manrique, Art Car, 1990, BMW 730i
César Manrique, Art Car, 1990, BMW 730i
A. R. Penck, Art Car, 1991, BMW Z1
Robert Rauschenberg, Art Car, 1986, BMW 635 CSi
Ernst Fuchs, Art Car, 1982, BMW 635i CSi
Michael Jagamara Nelson, Art Car, 1989, BMW M3 group A racing version
Esther Mahlangu, Art Car, 1991, BMW 525i
David Hockney, Art Car, 1995, BMW 850 CSi
David Hockney, Art Car, 1995, BMW 850 CSi
BMW Art Car miniature Andy Warhol on large scale
BMW Art Car miniature Ernst Fuchs on large scale
David Hockney, Art Car, 1995, BMW 850 CSi
Sandro Chia, Art Car, 1992, BMW 3 Series saloon-car racing prototype
Michael Jagamara Nelson, Art Car, 1989, BMW M3 group A racing version
Robert Rauschenbetg, Art Car, 1986, BMW 635 CSi
Ernst Fuchs, Art Car, 1982, BMW 635 CSi
Roy Lichtenstein, Art Car, 1977, BMW 320i group 5 racing version
Frank Stella, Art Car, 1976, BMW 3.0 CSL
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Phaidon’s new Graphic Classics is a lavish greatest hits of graphic design
Graphic Classics is a compendium of seven centuries of visual culture, from the everyday and ephemeral to visionary works that reshaped our world
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Birley Chocolate hits the sweet ’n’ chic spot in London’s Chelsea
The new Birley Chocolate shop, a sibling to Birley Bakery, is a confection of colour as delicious as its finely crafted goods
By Melina Keays Published
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed hosted a wealth of auto innovation, from hypercars to hot hatches
The best new SUVs, EVs, hatchbacks and supercars to emerge from the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
BMW launches its latest supermodel, the BMW XM Mystique Allure
The haute couture-inspired BMW XM Mystique Allure, dedicated to Naomi Campbell and with a soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer, makes its debut at Cannes International Film Festival 2024
By Simon Mills Published
-
BMW Vision Neue Klasse X reveals the shape of tomorrow’s electric SUV
New concept the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X previews the next-generation ‘X’ models
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA brings Esther Mahlangu’s art to life at Frieze LA
BMW’s Art Car Project has rarely impacted on the company’s everyday business of building cars. With the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, could all that be about to change?
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Electric BMW CE 02 is an eParkourer for the urban jungle
The BMW CE 02 – BMW Motorrad’s second all-electric scooter –is aimed squarely at the urban rider, offering style and power in a bold new package
By George Chapman Published
-
CES 2024 was a showcase for how to shoehorn AI into next-generation cars
CES 2024 in Las Vegas underlined that future mobility will be shaped by AI, like it or not, as intelligent assistants emerge to guide, plan and converse with their human cargo
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
24 transportation design innovations for 2024
From electric cars to new airports and sports boats, here’s a non-exhaustive list of 24 of the most interesting transportation design innovations to expect in the coming year
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
80 years of BMW design in a monumental new book
‘BMW: Behind the Scenes’ is billed as the ultimate book on the Bavarian carmaker’s aesthetic history
By Jonathan Bell Published