BMW Offers First Glimpse of its New Art Cars

BMW has released details and two photos that offer us a glimpse at what its upcoming art cars will be all about.

Two different artists are creating these cars; Cao Fei of China will put together the 18th BMW art car while American John Baldessari (pictured) will create the 19th. Both will start with a BMW M6 GT3 as their canvas, though both are taking different approaches to the process.

Fei says that her main theme will be “a landscape of no man’s land,” referencing self-driving cars and virtual reality. “I expect to transcend the current context of ‘cars’ and to embrace new possible ways of expressions. To me, that not only includes the artist, but also the public,” said Cao Fei.

SEE ALSO: BMW Art Car Collection Celebrates 40 Years

Baldessari approached the car with his signature style of placing brightly colored dots around an object.”I didn’t design the car – I collaborated with the designers of the car. I think the challenge comes in making something that cannot be understood from just one point of view, but only from a total point of view. I figured my use of colored dots is kind of an iconic series, so I had to include that. I’m actually advertising myself,” said John Baldessari.

The 18th art car by Cao Fei will be revealed at a major art museum sometime in 2017, while it will make its first public race track debut in Asia, also sometime in 2017.

The 19th BMW art car by John Baldessari will make its world premiere at the Art Basel in Miami Beach on November 30, 2016. Its first racetrack appearance will come at the Rolex 24 in Daytona, taking place in January of 2017.