At the inaugural fair of Paris Photo at LA’s Paramount Pictures Studios,
BMW is proud to present the M1 BMW Art Car by Andy Warhol, created by
the pop artist in 1979, as well as rare making of footage of this work.
Originally raced in Le Mans, Warhol in his own words meant to “give a
vivid depiction of speed. If a car is really fast, all contours and
colors will become blurred.”
Since 1975, prominent artists from throughout the world have designed
BMW automobiles of their times, all making extremely different artistic
statements. The seventeen exhibits created for the Art Car Collection
until now include works by well-known artists such as Frank Stella, Roy
Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Olafur
Eliasson and Jeff Koons. The Art Cars reflect the cultural and
historical development of art, design, and technology and have been
presented by major museums around the world, including the Guggenheim
and the Louvre.
BMW will also present a mini series of Burlesque Style Photos with the 6
Series Gran Coupe by internationally renowned German photographer Uwe
Düttmann. Four photos showcasing the 650i Gran Coupe in a retro setting
celebrate film noir as well as the extraordinary sensuality of the best
of burlesque vis-à-vis the high-tech design of one of the most advanced
automobiles of our time.
Two years ago at a Hollywood studio and a private movie set outside of
Los Angeles, BMW realized its idea of showcasing the 650i Gran Coupé in
this unique manner. As befits the character of the shoot, 15 different
photographs inside and outside the Gran Coupé present the two models
acting out signature burlesque poses. The pictures will be presented
within an environment paying tribute to their origins. Returning back
home to LA, they are exhibited at the fair for the very first time.
“BMW is pleased to be involved in the inaugural Paris Photo LA,” said
Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America. “We are
particularly looking forward to bringing out Andy Warhol art car and
debuting our new photos.”
BMW and Paris Photo celebrate the tenth anniversary of their
partnership. As it has in Paris, BMW will provide VIP shuttle service
during Paris Photo Los Angeles. For many years, the BMW Group has worked
together with great photographers from Bettina Rheims and Bryan Adams
to Karl Lagerfeld. The company has been involved in the arts for over
four decades with hundreds of initiatives worldwide. In 2005, at the
opening of Zaha Hadid’s BMW Leipzig plant, BMW donated its unique
collection of commissioned photographs by Thomas Demand, Wolfgang
Tillmans, Rineke Dijkstra, Candida Höfer and Thomas Struth, among
others, to the Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts.
When it comes to promoting
young outstanding photographers, among many other international
cooperations, BMW has been active in providing scholarships for
international artists in Germany as well as France, where residences
have been set up at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce. In addition, BMW for
many years has been engaged with Les Recontres Arles, the acclaimed
summer photography festival. As a long-term partner of Art Basel, Art
Basel Hong Kong, Art Basel Miami Beach, Frieze London and New York as
well as Tefaf Maastricht an many other fairs worldwide, BMW has taken in
active part of furthering the visibility and innovative spirit of
photography as an established form of artistic expression. Whenever
possible, the company has complied with artist’s request to allow for
photo shootings at our plants around the world. In 2014, the overall
yearly theme of the BMW Museum will be “Photography.”
Courtesy of BMW USA Newsroom
