20th BMW Art Car supports artists

The 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu cuts a dash at its world premiere. The artist joins forces with the BMW Group to launch a series of sponsorship projects for up-and-coming artists in Africa.

The BMW Group is delivering several levels of cultural spectacles with the world premiere of the 20th BMW Art Car at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The BMW M Hybrid V8 endurance prototype designed by New York artist Julie Mehretu continues a long tradition of racing car versions of the BMW Art Car Collection. Just a few weeks after its first presentation, it will compete in the famous 24-hour race of Le Mans. However, it is not on the racetrack that the collaboration between BMW and Ethiopian-born Julie Mehretu will probably make its most defining contribution to culture and exchange, but in a number of African cities: the BMW Art Car project was conceived as a joint initiative to promote young filmmakers right from the very outset. The PanAfrican Translocal Media Workshops bring together up-and-coming artists in several African countries.

“The BMW Art Cars are an essential part of our global cultural commitment,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “For almost 50 years, we have been cooperating with artists who are just as fascinated by mobility and design as they are by technology and motorsports. Julie Mehretu’s vision for a racing car is an extraordinarily strong contribution to our BMW Art Cars series. Julie Mehretu has created more than an amazing Art Car. Her ideas provided the impetus for us to expand the cultural commitment of our Art Cars to promote the creativity of young artists in Africa.”