BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu celebrates its world premiere

BMW presented the 20th BMW Art Car to the public for the first time at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

Designed by contemporary artist Julie Mehretu, the project transforms a BMW M Hybrid V8 race car into a performative work of art, continuing a longstanding tradition of BMW Art Cars and competitive racing. Just a few weeks after its premiere, the newest edition in the storied BMW Art Car collection will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"The whole BMW Art Car project is about invention, about imagination, about pushing limits of what can be possible," says Mehretu.

"I don't think of this car as something you would exhibit. I am thinking of it as something that will race in Le Mans. It's a performative painting. The BMW Art Car is only completed once the race is over."

"The BMW Art Cars are an essential part of our global cultural commitment," says Oliver Zipse, Chair 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.

She 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."

The collaboration includes a joint commitment to a series of Pan African Translocal Media Workshops for artists and filmmakers in various African cities in 2025 and 2026.