Cao Fei and John Baldessari to Create BMW Art Cars

MUNICH and NEW YORK, November 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Following commissions by Jenny Holzer (1999), Olafur Eliasson (2007) and Jeff Koons (2010), the BMW Art Car series will now be continued. On the occasion of the series' 40^th anniversary, a jury of museum directors and curators chose two renowned artists to design one car each. Chinese artist Cao Fei (*1978) and American artist John Baldessari (*1931) will be the youngest and the oldest artist represented in the collection respectively. On November 19, Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, announced the collaboration at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Both artists will create a BMW M6 GT3 in the coming year. The newly-designed vehicles will then be presented in museums in 2017, while also having to prove themselves on the racetrack.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151116/287797 )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151116/287799 )

"I'm thrilled to be able to join the magnificent list of BMW Art Car artists. Acceleration, a concept that reminds me of my desire for speed as a runner during the Young Pioneers days, is deeply connected to the entangled contemporary relationships between velocity, energy, and the country."

Cao Fei

"I was honored to have many of my respected peers recommend me as a BMW Art Car artist. Creating art that exists outside of a museum is important to me, and should be a goal for all artists. This will definitely be my fastest artwork yet."

John Baldessari

With their commitment, Cao Fei and John Baldessari will be joining the ranks of renowned artists such as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and David Hockney.

For further information, visit: http://www.press.bmwgroup.com

Video footage available at: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/global/tvFootageTeaserList.html?left_menu_item=node__10037&isHomepage=true

#BMWArtCar

http://bmwartcars.tumblr.com/

Press Contact:

Dr. Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Head of Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-24753
E-Mail: presse@bmw.de