\n Munich. For the first time ever,all BMW Art Cars are
\n brought together in one place: with the exhibition \u201cBMW ART CARS \u2013 20
\n ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED AT BMW WELT\u201d, BMW is
\n presenting the complete series of \u201crolling sculptures\u201d in Munich from
\n 29 July to 31 August 2026, honouring the collection\u2019s 50th
\n anniversary. The opening today, Tuesday\u00a028 July 2026, also marks the
\n conclusion of the BMW Art Car World Tour, which has showcased the
\n collection at venues in over 30 countries worldwide.\u00a0A particular
\n highlight of the exhibition is Olafur Eliasson\u2019s \u201cBMW H2R Project\u201d,
\n which, since its world premiere in 2007, has only been presented to
\n the public as a complete installation on three occasions. In Munich,
\n the exhibition is also being promoted in the city through a poster
\n campaign featuring the colour-coded photo series of the BMW Art Cars
\n by photographer Ren\u00e9 Staud. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The BMW Art Car Collection began in 1975: on the
\n initiative of the French racing driver and art auctioneer
\n Herv\u00e9 Poulain and Jochen
\n Neerpasch, then Head of BMW Motorsport, the artist
\n Alexander Calder designed a racing car.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we prepared the first automotive art installation with
\n Alexander Calder for the 24-hour race at Le Mans, we assumed it would
\n be a one-off event. But even when the artwork was created and the
\n Calder BMW 3.0 CSL was presented in Paris, and certainly when it was
\n racing at Le Mans, we were convinced that it would not be the last art
\n project involving cars. I would never have dreamed that it would
\n become the world’s most important automotive art
\n series.\u201d\u00a0Jochen Neerpasch\n<\/p>\n
With its iconic architecture and its role as a place of encounter,
\n BMW Welt provides the ideal setting for the most comprehensive
\n presentation to date of the BMW Art Car Collection in a venue open to
\n the public. Works by iconic artists such as Frank Stella, Roy
\n Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu,
\n David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei and Julie
\n Mehretu make the collection a vibrant panorama of the most
\n important voices in modern and contemporary art. At the same time,
\n these \u201crolling sculptures\u201d \u2013 from the BMW 3.0 CSL to the BMW Z1, right
\n through to the BMW M Hybrid V8 \u2013 offer a cross-section of BMW\u2019s design
\n and technological history.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n An exhibition tour through 50 years of BMW Art Car history.\u00a0 As the tour continues, the exhibition in the auditorium unfolds as a A highlight is Olafur Eliasson\u2019s \u201cBMW H2R Project\u201d (BMW Art Car #16) \u201cBy bringing together art, design, social and environmental issues, I \n Digital exhibition guides. \n Artlas app developed a guide specifically for the \n General Information.\u00a0 Opening (by invitation only): 28 July 2026, 6.30 pm Exhibition dates: 29 July\u201331 August 2026 \n Open Guided Tours Times: Twice daily (German & English) \n Exclusive private tours can be booked on request at \n BMW Welt Lifestyle & Accessories Shop: \n BMW Art Car Collection at BMW Welt.\n<\/p>\n Alexander Calder \/ BMW 3.0 CSL \/ 1975<\/p>\n Frank Stella \/ BMW 3.0 CSL \/ 1976<\/p>\n Roy Lichtenstein \/ BMW 320i Turbo \/ 1977<\/p>\n Andy Warhol \/ BMW M1 \/ 1979<\/p>\n Ernst Fuchs \/ BMW 635 CSi \/ 1982<\/p>\n Robert Rauschenberg \/ BMW 635 CSi \/ 1986<\/p>\n Michael Nelson Ken Done \/ BMW M3 Group A \/ 1989<\/p>\n Matazo Kayama \/ BMW 535i \/ 1990<\/p>\n C\u00e9sar Manrique \/ BMW 730i \/ 1990<\/p>\n A.R. Penck \/ BMW Z1 \/ 1991<\/p>\n Esther Mahlangu \/ BMW 525i \/ 1991<\/p>\n Sandro Chia \/ BMW M3 GTR \/ 1992<\/p>\n David Hockney \/ BMW 850 CSi \/ 1995<\/p>\n Jenny Holzer \/ BMW V12 LMR \/ 1999<\/p>\n Olafur Eliasson \/ BMW H2R \/ 2007<\/p>\n Jeff Koons \/ BMW M3 GT2 \/ 2010<\/p>\n Cao Fei \/ BMW M6 GT3 \/ 2017<\/p>\n John Baldessari \/ BMW M6 GTLM \/ 2016<\/p>\n Julie Mehretu \/ BMW M Hybrid V8 \/ 2024<\/p>\n Further information at: The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and
The exhibition takes the audience on a journey that begins
\n with the most recent work and leads back to the origins of the
\n collection. Right from the entrance area, introductory video
\n documentaries bring the history and significance of the BMW Art Car
\n Collection to life. The exhibition opens by focusing on two of the
\n collection\u2019s most recent additions: the BMW Art Car #20 by Julie
\n Mehretu and the BMW Art Car #19 by John Baldessari. Julie Mehretu\u2019s
\n BMW Art Car project illustrates that the series now extends far beyond
\n the automobile: alongside creating her BMW M Hybrid V8, she co-founded
\n the African Film and Media
\n Arts Collective (AFMAC)<\/a> with film producer and screenwriter
\n Mehret Mandefro. The initiative supports artists and filmmakers from
\n Africa and the diaspora; the first major exhibition is set to open in
\n December 2026 at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town.<\/p>\n
\n chronological journey through the decades. A timeline on the walls,
\n leading back into the past, frames the presentation and makes the
\n development of the collection just as traceable as the various
\n artistic and technological contexts in which it was created. The
\n exhibition concludes with the first BMW Art Cars displayed on a
\n podium, with Alexander Calder\u2019s BMW Art Car #1 \u2013 the collection\u2019s
\n starting point \u2013 taking centre stage.<\/p>\n
\n on the East forecourt. BMW Welt is only the fourth location worldwide
\n where this artwork \u2013 based on a hydrogen prototype \u2013 has been publicly
\n displayed as a \u201cfrozen\u201d installation since its world premiere in 2007.
\n Eliasson replaced the bodywork of the BMW H2R with a mesh-like
\n structure made of reflective metal and coated it with several layers
\n of frozen water. The entire structure weighs around two tonnes and is
\n illuminated from within \u2013 a poetic reflection on sustainability.<\/p>\n
\n hope to contribute to a different way of thinking-feeling-experiencing
\n cars and seeing them in relation to the time and space in which we
\n live.\u201d Olafur Eliasson\n<\/p>\n
The exhibition is complemented by a digital offering from BMW
\n Welt that combines art, technology and interaction. The digital
\n application Treasure Hunt invites visitors to
\n discover the BMW Art Cars playfully. After scanning just five BMW Art
\n Cars, an exclusive voucher is unlocked; once registered, this can be
\n redeemed on site for a refreshment at \u201cCooper\u2019s Garden.\u201d The Treasure
\n Hunt combines exploration with in-depth information on art, design and
\n innovation, enhancing the exhibition experience in an entertaining way.<\/p>\n
\n exhibition, providing personalised digital access to all 20 BMW Art
\n Cars \u2013 ranging from concise descriptions of the works and curated
\n themed tours to in-depth background information in text and audio.
\n Visitors can point their phone at any car to learn more, or ask
\n anything about the exhibition through the in-app, curator-verified AI
\n chat.\u00a0The app is aimed equally at children, families, art enthusiasts
\n and experts,\u00a0regardless of their knowledge level,\u00a0and supports 25
\n languages. The app can be downloaded for smartphones at\u00a0www.artlas.art<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u201cBMW ART CARS \u2013 20 ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED
\n AT BMW WELT.\u201d<\/p>\n
Artists\u2019 talk
\n (by invitation only): 28 July 2026, 7.00 pm \u201cBody, Machine, Public
\n Space. Artists on the Cultural Meaning of the Automobile\u201d with G\u00f6ksu
\n Kunak (artist), Robin Rhode (artist) and Yilmaz Dziewior (Director of
\n the Museum Ludwig and member of the BMW Art Car jury)<\/p>\n
Venue: BMW Welt
\n (Auditorium), Am Olympiapark 1, 80809 Munich
Opening hours:
\n Monday\u2013Sunday 9.00 am\u20136.00 pm (free admission)<\/p>\n
\n
Short guided tours taking place daily for individual visitors and
\n small groups.<\/p>\n
Until 14 August: 1.00
\n pm (DE) | 2.30 pm (EN)
From 15 August: 12.00 pm (DE) | 2.30 pm
\n (EN)
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Group size: max. 15
\n people
Booking: Tickets are available online via the ticket shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n booking@bmw.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n
As well as the newly reprinted book \u201cBMW Art Cars\u201c (Hatje Cantz
\n Verlag), the 1:43 scale models by Alexander Calder and Roy
\n Lichtenstein will be available to purchase from the shop at BMW Welt
\n for the duration of the exhibition. This is also your last chance to
\n acquire selected pieces from the Art Car Capsule Collection by Cao Fei
\n (BMW Art Car Artist #18).<\/p>\n
\n Jagamara \/ BMW M3 Group A \/ 1989<\/p>\n
BMW Welt<\/a>
\n
BMW
\n Art Car Collection<\/a>\n<\/p>\n
\n deeper\u00a0insights into its global initiatives can be followed on
\n Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture<\/a>.<\/p>\n