The Fastest Artworks in the World:
50 Years of BMW Art Cars
 

In 1975, an idea was sparked that was as unconventional as it was ambitious: French racing driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain wanted to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a car designed by an artist. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL covered in Alexander Calder’s unmistakable, brightly coloured forms. The car had to retire after just seven hours in its Le Mans debut, but the idea had been set in motion. The project marked the beginning of a series that continues to this day. Soon afterwards, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol each left their artistic mark on a racing car.

With her work on the BMW M Hybrid V8, Julie Mehretu extends the idea of the Art Car beyond the vehicle itself. Alongside designing the racing car, the artist developed a project that connects contemporary art, film and cultural exchange: the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC). Through a series of five workshops in Lagos, Tangier, Nairobi, Dakar and Cape Town, artists and filmmakers explored new possibilities for artistic collaboration, as well as the histories and futures of African cinema and media art.

A highlight of the project is the exhibition Turning Towards the Sun at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. On view from 11 December 2026 to 15 August 2027, it features new films by six artists and filmmakers: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, Mati Diop, Jim Chuchu, Wanuri Kahiu, Robin Coste Lewis and The Otolith Group. Mehretu’s BMW Art Car will be on display in the museum’s central Atrium Bowl for the duration of the exhibition.