BMW is official partner of Art Basel in Hong Kong 2018. BMW Art Journey and BMW Art Car #18 by Cao Fei on display at the BMW Lounge.

Hong Kong. From March 29 to 31, the Art Basel show in Hong Kong will open its doors offering again extensive insights into the work of over 4,000 artists, presented by 248 of the world’s leading galleries. As an official partner of the show, BMW will not only provide the VIP shuttle service, but also present the BMW Art Car #18 created by female Chinese artist Cao Fei in the BMW Lounge at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.  Furthermore, last year’s BMW Art Journey winner, India based artist Astha Butail, will give first insights into her upcoming project and the new BMW Art Journey shortlist will be announced.

BMW Art Car #18 by Cao Fei
After its race premiere in Macau, the 18^th BMW Art Car by contemporary multimedia artist Cao Fei will be displayed at the BMW Lounge. As a reflection on the speed of change in China, on tradition and future, Cao Fei 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.

BMW Art Journey at Art Basel in Hong Kong
In 2015, together with Art Basel, BMW realized an initiative to support young emerging artists: the BMW Art Journey. Last year’s winner from Art Basel in Hong Kong, Astha Butail (represented by GALLERYSKE, New Dehli, Bangalore), will be on the ground in Hong Kong to give first insights into her upcoming BMW Art Journey project “In the Absence of Writing”. Her journey will lead Butail through three oral tradition set ups – Zoroastrian Avesta, Jewish Oral Torah and Indian Veda traditions – from Yazd (Iran) and Jerusalem (Israel) over London (UK) to Varanasi, Pune, New Delhi and Mumbai (India). Discovering memories and living traditions that are passed down through teaching and oral poetry, Butail’s project is, in her words “an homage to the intangible oral traditions that are still alive today.” The journey connects the artist to the sacred languages of the three cultures she is dwelling upon; Sanskrit, Pharsi and Hebrew. Her endeavor is to find the similarities within the differences. While travelling, Butail carries a mobile tent with her, a new form for each destination, and uses it to make video works along with the books from her old project, a story within a story.

Furthermore, an international jury of experts will gather again at the Art Basel show in Hong Kong to select a shortlist of three artists from the Discoveries sector for the next BMW Art Journey. Members of the jury are Richard Armstrong, Director Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Claire Hsu, Director Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong; Matthias Mühling, Director Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich; Bose Krishnamachari, President Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India; and Pauline J. Yao, Curator, Visual Art M+, Hong Kong.

The three artists who will then be invited to submit their proposals for a journey will be announced at the BMW Lounge on March 28, 2018, at 5.30 PM. That evening, BMW will host an exclusive VIP cocktail reception to celebrate the announcement of the BMW Art Journey shortlist.   
Next to Art Basel in Hong Kong, BMW also supports the international Art Basel shows in Basel and Miami Beach as a long-term partner.

For further questions please contact:
Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-247
Fax: +49 89 382 24418
 www.press.bmwgroup.com
 E-Mail: presse@bmw.de

Dorothee Dines
Art Basel Global Head of Media Relations
Telephone: + 41 58 206 27 06
Email: dorothee.dines@artbasel.com

About Art Basel
Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition.
Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through a number of new initiatives. In 2014, Art Basel launched its Crowdfunding Initiative which has catalyzed much-needed support for outstanding non-commercial art projects worldwide and so far has helped garner pledges in excess of USD 2 million in support of around 70 art projects from around the globe – from Bogota to Ho Chi Minh City, San José and Kabul. For Art Basel Cities, launched in 2016, Art Basel is working with selected partner cities to develop vibrant and content-driven programs specific to the individual city. Connecting them to the global art world through Art Basel's expertise and network, Art Basel Cities supports its partners to develop their unique cultural landscape. For further information, please visit artbasel.com.

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.

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
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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. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2017, the BMW Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and more than 164,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2016 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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