Munich. For the first time ever,all BMW Art Cars are
brought together in one place: with the exhibition “BMW ART CARS – 20
ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED AT BMW WELT”, BMW is
presenting the complete series of “rolling sculptures” in Munich from
29 July to 31 August 2026, honouring the collection’s 50th
anniversary. The opening today, Tuesday 28 July 2026, also marks the
conclusion of the BMW Art Car World Tour, which has showcased the
collection at venues in over 30 countries worldwide. A particular
highlight of the exhibition is Olafur Eliasson’s “BMW H2R Project”,
which, since its world premiere in 2007, has only been presented to
the public as a complete installation on three occasions. In Munich,
the exhibition is also being promoted in the city through a poster
campaign featuring the colour-coded photo series of the BMW Art Cars
by photographer René Staud.
The BMW Art Car Collection began in 1975: on the
initiative of the French racing driver and art auctioneer
Hervé Poulain and Jochen
Neerpasch, then Head of BMW Motorsport, the artist
Alexander Calder designed a racing car.
“When we prepared the first automotive art installation with
Alexander Calder for the 24-hour race at Le Mans, we assumed it would
be a one-off event. But even when the artwork was created and the
Calder BMW 3.0 CSL was presented in Paris, and certainly when it was
racing at Le Mans, we were convinced that it would not be the last art
project involving cars. I would never have dreamed that it would
become the world’s most important automotive art
series.” Jochen Neerpasch
With its iconic architecture and its role as a place of encounter,
BMW Welt provides the ideal setting for the most comprehensive
presentation to date of the BMW Art Car Collection in a venue open to
the public. Works by iconic artists such as Frank Stella, Roy
Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu,
David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei and Julie
Mehretu make the collection a vibrant panorama of the most
important voices in modern and contemporary art. At the same time,
these “rolling sculptures” – from the BMW 3.0 CSL to the BMW Z1, right
through to the BMW M Hybrid V8 – offer a cross-section of BMW’s design
and technological history.
An exhibition tour through 50 years of BMW Art Car history.
The exhibition takes the audience on a journey that begins
with the most recent work and leads back to the origins of the
collection. Right from the entrance area, introductory video
documentaries bring the history and significance of the BMW Art Car
Collection to life. The exhibition opens by focusing on two of the
collection’s most recent additions: the BMW Art Car #20 by Julie
Mehretu and the BMW Art Car #19 by John Baldessari. Julie Mehretu’s
BMW Art Car project illustrates that the series now extends far beyond
the automobile: alongside creating her BMW M Hybrid V8, she co-founded
the African Film and Media
Arts Collective (AFMAC) with film producer and screenwriter
Mehret Mandefro. The initiative supports artists and filmmakers from
Africa and the diaspora; the first major exhibition is set to open in
December 2026 at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town.
As the tour continues, the exhibition in the auditorium unfolds as a
chronological journey through the decades. A timeline on the walls,
leading back into the past, frames the presentation and makes the
development of the collection just as traceable as the various
artistic and technological contexts in which it was created. The
exhibition concludes with the first BMW Art Cars displayed on a
podium, with Alexander Calder’s BMW Art Car #1 – the collection’s
starting point – taking centre stage.
A highlight is Olafur Eliasson’s “BMW H2R Project” (BMW Art Car #16)
on the East forecourt. BMW Welt is only the fourth location worldwide
where this artwork – based on a hydrogen prototype – has been publicly
displayed as a “frozen” installation since its world premiere in 2007.
Eliasson replaced the bodywork of the BMW H2R with a mesh-like
structure made of reflective metal and coated it with several layers
of frozen water. The entire structure weighs around two tonnes and is
illuminated from within – a poetic reflection on sustainability.
“By bringing together art, design, social and environmental issues, I
hope to contribute to a different way of thinking-feeling-experiencing
cars and seeing them in relation to the time and space in which we
live.” Olafur Eliasson
Digital exhibition guides.
The exhibition is complemented by a digital offering from BMW
Welt that combines art, technology and interaction. The digital
application Treasure Hunt invites visitors to
discover the BMW Art Cars playfully. After scanning just five BMW Art
Cars, an exclusive voucher is unlocked; once registered, this can be
redeemed on site for a refreshment at “Cooper’s Garden.” The Treasure
Hunt combines exploration with in-depth information on art, design and
innovation, enhancing the exhibition experience in an entertaining way.
Artlas app developed a guide specifically for the
exhibition, providing personalised digital access to all 20 BMW Art
Cars – ranging from concise descriptions of the works and curated
themed tours to in-depth background information in text and audio.
Visitors can point their phone at any car to learn more, or ask
anything about the exhibition through the in-app, curator-verified AI
chat. The app is aimed equally at children, families, art enthusiasts
and experts, regardless of their knowledge level, and supports 25
languages. The app can be downloaded for smartphones at www.artlas.art.
General Information.
“BMW ART CARS – 20 ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED
AT BMW WELT.”
Opening (by invitation only): 28 July 2026, 6.30 pm
Artists’ talk
(by invitation only): 28 July 2026, 7.00 pm “Body, Machine, Public
Space. Artists on the Cultural Meaning of the Automobile” with Göksu
Kunak (artist), Robin Rhode (artist) and Yilmaz Dziewior (Director of
the Museum Ludwig and member of the BMW Art Car jury)
Exhibition dates: 29 July–31 August 2026
Venue: BMW Welt
(Auditorium), Am Olympiapark 1, 80809 Munich
Opening hours:
Monday–Sunday 9.00 am–6.00 pm (free admission)
Open Guided Tours
Short guided tours taking place daily for individual visitors and
small groups.
Times: Twice daily (German & English)
Until 14 August: 1.00
pm (DE) | 2.30 pm (EN)
From 15 August: 12.00 pm (DE) | 2.30 pm
(EN)
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Group size: max. 15
people
Booking: Tickets are available online via the ticket shop.
Exclusive private tours can be booked on request at
booking@bmw.com.
BMW Welt Lifestyle & Accessories Shop:
As well as the newly reprinted book “BMW Art Cars“ (Hatje Cantz
Verlag), the 1:43 scale models by Alexander Calder and Roy
Lichtenstein will be available to purchase from the shop at BMW Welt
for the duration of the exhibition. This is also your last chance to
acquire selected pieces from the Art Car Capsule Collection by Cao Fei
(BMW Art Car Artist #18).
BMW Art Car Collection at BMW Welt.
Alexander Calder / BMW 3.0 CSL / 1975
Frank Stella / BMW 3.0 CSL / 1976
Roy Lichtenstein / BMW 320i Turbo / 1977
Andy Warhol / BMW M1 / 1979
Ernst Fuchs / BMW 635 CSi / 1982
Robert Rauschenberg / BMW 635 CSi / 1986
Michael Nelson
Jagamara / BMW M3 Group A / 1989
Ken Done / BMW M3 Group A / 1989
Matazo Kayama / BMW 535i / 1990
César Manrique / BMW 730i / 1990
A.R. Penck / BMW Z1 / 1991
Esther Mahlangu / BMW 525i / 1991
Sandro Chia / BMW M3 GTR / 1992
David Hockney / BMW 850 CSi / 1995
Jenny Holzer / BMW V12 LMR / 1999
Olafur Eliasson / BMW H2R / 2007
Jeff Koons / BMW M3 GT2 / 2010
Cao Fei / BMW M6 GT3 / 2017
John Baldessari / BMW M6 GTLM / 2016
Julie Mehretu / BMW M Hybrid V8 / 2024
Further information at:
BMW Welt
BMW
Art Car Collection
The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and
deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on
Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.