BMW Group has unveiled the 20th BMW Art Car, designed by internationally acclaimed artist Julie Mehretu, at Art Basel Hong Kong 2025. The exhibition, running from March 28-30 at the BMW Lounge in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, marks a significant milestone in the 50-year history of BMW's iconic "rolling sculptures" that blend art, design, and innovation.
BMW Art Car #20 with artist Julie Mehretu. Photo Tereza Mundilová © BMW AG
The BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car features Mehretu's distinctive artistic style, characterized by bold aesthetics that incorporate digitally altered photographic layers, vibrant neon colors, and her signature black gestural marks. The design is based on her large-scale painting "Everywhen" (2021-2023) and utilizes advanced 3D mapping technology to create a powerful fusion of art and high-performance engineering. This art car has already made its mark beyond the gallery space, having competed in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2024.
"Working on the BMW Art Car has allowed me to explore new dimensions of movement, space, and time. This car is not just an artwork; I call it a performative painting that reaches its full expression on the racetrack," said Mehretu about her creation.
The exhibition is part of the BMW Art Car World Tour, which will continue throughout 2025 and 2026, with planned appearances at major cultural events including Taipei Dangdai, Market Art Fair, Concorso d'Eleganza, and various automotive museums and classic car festivals worldwide.
Alongside the main exhibition, BMW is showcasing miniature versions of BMW Art Cars from the past five decades, featuring designs by renowned artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer, and Jeff Koons.
BMW Art Car #20 with artist Julie Mehretu. Photo Tereza Mundilová © BMW AG
BMW Art Car #20 with artist Julie Mehretu. Photo Tereza Mundilová © BMW AG
The BMW Art Car initiative dates back to 1975 when French racing driver Hervé Poulain collaborated with BMW Motorsport head Jochen Neerpasch and artist Alexander Calder to create the first Art Car – a BMW 3.0 CSL that competed at Le Mans that year. Since then, the collection has grown to include works by 19 other prominent artists, each bringing their unique vision to BMW vehicles.
In conjunction with the Art Car exhibition, BMW and Julie Mehretu are also launching the African Film and Media Arts Collective with producer Mehret Mandefro. These workshops, to be hosted in cities like Dakar, Lagos, and Cape Town throughout 2025, aim to nurture creativity among young African artists and filmmakers. The results will be displayed alongside the BMW Art Car at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in 2026.
Art Basel Hong Kong visitors can experience the 20th BMW Art Car at the BMW Lounge on Level 3 Concourse of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 28-30, 2025.
For more information about BMW's cultural initiatives, follow @BMWGroupCulture on Instagram or visit www.bmwgroup.com/culture.
