PressClub Global · Article.
BMW Art Car reloaded: Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei takes the series into the 21st Century by going digital.
31.05.2017 Press Release
World Premiere of the latest BMW Art Car on May 31 at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing. The BMW M6 GT3 Art Car will race at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau in November 2017.
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BMW Group
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Thomas Girst
BMW Group
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Beijing. The future is now: Following the
contributions by Jeff Koons and John Baldessari, Cao Fei (b. 1978) is
the youngest and first Chinese artist ever to create a BMW Art Car. By
employing augmented and virtual reality, the internationally acclaimed
Chinese multimedia artist addresses the future of mobility such as
autonomous driving, airborne cars and digitalization. In the presence
of Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and
hundreds of invited guests, the reveal of BMW Art Car #18 was
celebrated at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing on May 31.
Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management
of BMW AG: “We were thrilled by the decision of an independent jury of
international museum directors to have nominated Cao Fei. Considered
as a lucky number in China, her vehicle is the official
18th rolling sculpture of the collection. For her project,
Cao Fei chose an unprecedented and immersive approach, empowering the
viewer to engage with the artwork through cutting-edge technology.
This is truly a BMW Art Car for the 21st century!”
Cao Fei commented upon her BMW Art Car: “To me, light
represents thoughts. As the speed of thoughts cannot be measured, the
#18 Art Car questions the existence of the boundaries of the human
mind. We are entering a new age, where the mind directly controls
objects and where thoughts can be transferred, such as unmanned
operations and artificial intelligence. Which attitudes and
temperaments hold the key to opening the gateway to the new age?”
The BMW Art Car #18 by Cao Fei
Cao Fei’s work is
a reflection on the speed of change in China, on tradition and future.
With her BMW Art Car project, she delves into a trajectory spanning
thousands of years, paying tribute to Asia’s ancient spiritual wisdom
as it swiftly spreads out into the third millennium. The multimedia
artist approached the BMW Art Car in a way typical for her artistic
practice, building a parallel universe. The body of work consists of
three different components: a video focusing on a time traveling
spiritual practitioner, augmented reality features picturing colorful
light particles, accessible via a dedicated app (App Store: keyword
“BMW Art Car #18”), and the BMW M6 GT3 racecar in its original carbon
black. Paying tribute to the carbon fiber structure of the racecar
chassis, Cao Fei’s holistic use of a non-reflective black incorporates
the car into the possibilities of the digital world.
Within this concept, Cao Fei’s implementation of video art as
well as augmented reality creates an environment of which the M6 GT3
is an essential part. In her video work, the practitioner executes
spiritual movements, which echo in colorful streams of light. When the
app is used within the premises of the car, these light swishes become
an AR installation floating above and around the BMW M6 GT3 –
involving the spectator as an interactive agent of participation. This
narrative reflects on a traditional spiritual ceremony very common
throughout Asia in which new objects such as automobiles are being
blessed, in this case wishing good luck to car and driver. On a
broader level, the light elements mirror what the eyes cannot see and
the mind cannot picture.
During the course of over three years following her
announcement, Cao Fei took part in a racing experience with female
race driver Cyndie Allemann in Switzerland in 2015. During manifold
visits to headquarters, she worked closely with BMW Group’s engineers,
designers, and digital specialists. For her research, the artist also
went on an extended BMW plant visit to Tiexi.
The Jury
The jury of the 18th BMW Art
Car consisted of the following members: Richard Armstrong, Director,
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York); Chris Dercon, then Director,
Tate Modern (London); Juan Gaitán, Director, Museo Tamayo Arte
Contemporáneo (Mexico City); Gabriele Horn, Director, Berlin Biennale;
Udo Kittelmann, Director, Nationalgalerie Staatliche Museen zu Berlin;
Dr. Matthias Mühling, Director, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus
(Munich); Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Gallery
(London); Shwetal A. Patel, Kochi-Muziris Biennale (India); Beatrix
Ruf, Director, Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam); Bisi Silva, Director, The
Centre for Contemporary Art (Lagos); Philip Tinari, Director, Ullens
Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing) and Adam D. Weinberg, Director,
Whitney Museum of American Art (New York).
Joint statement of the international jury on Cao
Fei’s BMW Art Car project: “Cao Fei plays with many different
dimensions in her artistic practice. In the international art world,
she is well known for exploring virtual realities and digital
platforms in her works, while eventually bringing her narrative back
into the analogue world. We are not surprised that she picked a
scenario that is on the one hand imaginary, even fictitious, but then
on the other hand very concrete and physical.“
Quotes on the occasion of the World Premiere of BMW Art Car
#18
The 18th BMW Art Car was revealed in the
presence of Olaf Kastner (President and CEO of BMW Group, China
Region), Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director), Augusto Farfus (BMW
works driver) and Fan Di’an (President of China Central Academy of
Fine Arts).
Olaf Kastner, President and CEO of BMW Group, Region
China: “We are proud to present the first BMW Art Car designed by a
Chinese artist, Cao Fei, who is also by far the youngest. She is a
solid example of BMW Group’s commitment to promote the new emerging
generation of Chinese artists. We are not only active in shaping the
future of mobility, but also in developing strong social connections
with China through cultural engagement initiatives, dating back as
early as 11 years ago. China is undergoing huge and rapid
developments, especially in the digital landscape. The 18th BMW Art
Car pays tribute to the flourishing changes in the Chinese society.”
Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director: “The 18th
BMW Art Car is perfectly suited to this era. Cao Fei took the logical
step of creating the first ever digital Art Car. The augmented reality
experience makes this BMW M6 GT3 unique. For everyone involved at BMW
Motorsport it was both exciting and fascinating to work with Cao Fei
and her team on this project. This makes 2017 a very special year in
the history of BMW Art Cars. First, the BMW M6 GTLM Art Car of John
Baldessari took to the track in Daytona, at the end of the season
comes Art Car #18 by Cao Fei in Macau. This makes the tradition of BMW
Art Cars livelier than ever.”
Augusto Farfus, BMW works driver: “It’s a huge honour
for me to race Cao Fei’s BMW Art Car, the 18th member of
the BMW Art Car Collection. I’m extremely proud that I get the chance
to drive my second Art Car this year. This is absolutely unique for a
racing driver. I’m really looking forward to diving deeper into this
project and learning more about the artist’s ideas and her philosophy
behind it.”
Fan Di’an, President of China Central Academy of Fine
Arts: “Cao Fei’s achievement in creating the 18th BMW Art
Car through augmented reality as a multimedia installation resonates
with the rapid development and huge transformation of China over the
past decades, such as globalization, urbanization and digitalization,
which drives the flourishing development of contemporary art in China.
In the increasingly digitalized world, technology has become an
important means for artists to create. I’m delighted to see Chinese
artists are at the forefront of digital art.”
The BMW M6 GT3 on the racetrack
The BMW M6 GT3
has been the top model in the BMW Motorsport customer racing line-up
since 2016. The car is powered by a 4.4-litre V8 engine with M
TwinPower Turbo Technology, generating 585 hp – with the whole car
weighing less than 1,300 kilograms. Technical characteristics of the
BMW M6 GT3 are also the drive concept, six-speed sequential racing
transmission, and high-performance motorsport electronics. In 2016 the
GT car got off to a flying start, proving to be a race winner from the
word go. Maxime Martin (BEL), Alexander Sims (GBR) and Philipp Eng
(AUT) drove the BMW M6 GT3 to victory in the 24-hour race of
Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). In addition, private BMW teams and drivers
collected many more victories and titles over the course of the season
with this challenger. The GTLM version of the car is competing in the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Sims, Bill Auberlen (USA),
Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Bruno Spengler (CAN) took turns racing John
Baldessari’s BMW M6 GTLM Art Car during the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA).
Again, it will be up to Farfus to race yet another Art Car, this time
designed by Cao Fei, at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau (CHN).
Dimensions:
Length: 4,944 mm
Width:
2,046 mm
Wheelbase: 2,901
mm
Weight: under 1,300 kg (without driver,
depending on regulations)
Engine:
Model:
Based on the S63 production engine and slightly modified
for the specific requirements of
motorsport;
with M TwinPower
Turbo Technology
Type: V8
Capacity:
4,395 cc
Performance: up to 585 hp
(depending on classification)
Oil supply: Oil
system, based on dry sump,
specifically developed by BMW Motorsport
Top speed:
approx. 280 km/h
The BMW Art Car Collection
Since 1975, a total of 19 artists from all over the world have
created BMW Art Cars on the basis of contemporary BMW automobiles.
The collection was inaugurated when French racecar driver and art
aficionado Hervé Poulain in collaboration with the then
current BMW Motorsport Director Jochen Neerpasch asked his artist
friend Alexander Calder to design a car. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL,
which in 1975 was raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and became an
instant favorite with the public: the BMW Art Car Collection was born.
The home of the BMW Art Cars is the BMW Museum in Munich. In addition,
they travel internationally for display in exhibitions and museums.
In November 2015, BMW Group announced two artists to create the
next BMW Art Cars at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. In
addition to multimedia artist Cao Fei, American icon John Baldessari
designed a BMW M6 GTLM, both joining the ranks of: Alexander Calder,
Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Ernst Fuchs, Robert
Rauschenberg, M. J. Nelson, Ken Done, Matazo Kayama, César Manrique,
A. R. Penck, Esher Mahlangu, Sandro Chia, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer,
Olafur Elíasson and Jeff Koons. After its world premiere on November
30, 2016, during Art Basel in Miami Beach, the BMW Art Car by John
Baldessari competed at the legendary 24 Hours of Daytona from January
28 to 29, 2017.
Over the summer, her multimedia installation will be displayed
at the BMW Experience Shanghai, a brand and driving experience center,
before her BMW M6 GT3 needs to prove itself on the racetrack of the
FIA FT World Cup in Macau on November 17-19, 2017. A virtual
experience of her BMW Art Car will also be on display at the UBS Forum
during Art Basel in
Basel in June 2017.
For further questions please contact:
Dr. Thomas
Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural
Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 24753, Fax: +49 89 382 24418
Leonie Laskowski
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental
Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 45382,
Fax: +49 89 382 24418
Ingo Lehbrink
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Sports Communications
Telephone: +49 89 382 76003
www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-Mail:
presse@bmw.de
About Cao Fei
Born in 1978 in Guangzhou, Cao
Fei is one of the most innovative young Chinese artists to have
emerged onto the international scene. Currently living in Beijing, she
mixes social commentary, popular aesthetics, references to Surrealism,
and documentary conventions in her films and installations. Her works
reflect on the rapid and chaotic changes that are occurring in Chinese
society today. She exhibited her works and projects in Serpentine
Gallery, Tate Modern (London); New Museum, Guggenheim Museum, MoMA
(New York); Palais de Tokyo and Centre Pompidou (Paris). Cao Fei’s
recent projects in 2016 include her first retrospective at MoMA PS1.
Furthermore, Cao Fei received the Chinese Contemporary Art Award
(CCAA) Best Young Artist Award in 2006 and Best Artist Award in 2016;
Piedra de Sal Award at Cuenca Biennale in 2016.
About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment
For
almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over
100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus
of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical
music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three
large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter
specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters.
Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim,
Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In
2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car
Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art
Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London,
the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well
as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes
absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this
initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work
as it is for major innovations in a successful business.
About BMW Group’s commitment to culture in
China
BMW Group has always been committed to fulfilling
corporate social responsibility through cultural engagement in China
contributing to the development of Chinese art and culture.
In China, BMW Group kicked off BMW Culture Journey in 2007 to
safeguard and promote Chinese cultural heritage. In the past decade,
the initiative has visited six major eco-cultural preservation zones
and over 270 intangible cultural heritage items and has donated over
16 million RMB to support 90 projects in urgent need of safeguarding.
The Tiexi plant in China is one of the world’s most advanced and
sustainable automobile plants, which is also known as an “art
factory”. There are many displays of artworks throughout, all of which
are the result of a project called “10+10”, a cultural engagement
program jointly initiated by the BMW Group, BMW Brilliance, LuXun
Academy of Fine Arts and Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, to
reflect on the relationship between industry, nature and humans under
different cultural contexts.
The all-new BMW Brand Experience Center in Shanghai is a
creative institution that harmoniously combines the strong BMW
identity with Chinese elements, and offers free access to the public.
The institution has a dedicated area to showcase the BMW Art Cars and
allows the public to design their own art cars virtually. In addition
to BMW branding events and experiential activities, it also hosts
various programs regularly, e.g. innovation talks and culture journey workshops.
Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture
and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BMW-Group-Culture-925330854231870/
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https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/
@BMWGroupCulture
#BMWGroupCulture
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW
Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries
and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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