Added on December 30, 2016  The News Wheel   , , , , ,
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Latest BMW Art Car Makes Its Debut

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19th BMW Art CarThe BMW Art Car project was first introduced by the German automaker 40 years ago. One of the latest editions in this storied fleet was recently revealed at Art Basel In Miami Beach 2016 by artist John Baldessari, and we have to admit it’s pretty stunning.

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Take a look at the 19th member of the BMW Art Car Collection in the gallery below.

Before his work with the BMW Art Car, John Baldessari was known primarily for his mastery of conceptual art. The cover was lifted from the car on November 30th, at the VIP Preview Day of this year’s edition of Art Basel in Miami Beach, an exclusive contemporary art show that BMW has sponsored in in the past. Art Basel brings together hundreds of art dealers from around the world to show off art to private collectors and museums. President and CEO of BMW of North America Ludwig Willisch was at the art fair alongside the Director of BMW Motorsport Jens Marquardt for the unveiling in the Botanical Garden of Miami Beach.

While Baldessari had never worked with an actual car before (he has worked with the image of a car), the artist discovered that he could apply many of his trademark design ideas to decorate the vehicle and make it his own. John Baldessari said “…for the BMW Art Car project, I entered uncharted territory, not just in terms of the subject, but also moving from two- to three-dimensional art. A challenge I did enjoy! The ideas all came at once: for instance, the red dot on the roof, so you can see it from above, FAST on one side and a picture of the car on the other side. I like the ambiguity, having two-dimension and three-dimension at the same time. Considering the car as an icon of contemporary life, my concept turned out playfully satirical, but it also highlights some of the trademark ideas that I use. So you can say, the BMW Art Car is definitely a typical Baldessari and the fastest artwork I ever created!”

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This BMW Art Car is slated to be put to the test on the track for the Rolex 24 in Daytona this January, and will be joined by the next BMW Art Car, by Cao Fei, later this year.