BMW has recently announced a new collaboration with New York-based artist, Julie Mehretu. The news broke at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City at the end of June. Mehretu will be applying her talents to creating the 20th BMW Art Car; an M Hybrid V8. Chosen by a diverse group of museum directors and curators, Mehretu has been granted full creative control to develop the theme for the car, which will enter the 24-Hour race of Le Mans in June 2024. The now 50-year old tradition of BMW art-car creation has reinforced the seamless connection between art and motorsport-technology.
With previous exhibitions at the MoMA, Whitney Museum, and countless others, Julie Mehretu has established herself over the course of two decades as influencing the Futurism and Constructivism movements. Her works feature dramatic lines and shapes reminicient of archiutecural plans, furtherly expressed with streaks and layers of color. She is also recognized for her themes of migration and colonialization within her work. Now, she will be added to an ever-growing list artists who’ve contributed to the BMW Art Car tradition, which also includes Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei, and John Baldessari.
‘I’ve loved cars for most of my life, as toys, as objects, as possibilities. It is from that space that I’m really excited to be working on the next BMW Art Car more than anything…The thrill of the speed, the 24-Hour race of Le Mans and what is possible to invent in hybrid and fully electric vehicles as future modes of play and pushing ahead into new terrains of transportation and motorsports.’
-Julie Mehretu
The BMW M Hybrid V8 is competing successfully in the GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class of the North American IMSA endurance racing series. BMW M Motorsport plans to return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2024. However, BMW certainly has their work cutout for them, with the M Hybrid V8 now facing contenders in a Hypercar category.
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