BMW partner of Art Basel. World premiere of sound artist Samson Young and BMW Art Journey Talk with international artists.

Basel. From June 14 to 17, 2018, the Swiss edition of Art Basel will once again present a wide range of artistic oeuvres by more than 4,000 artists represented by 290 of the leading galleries worldwide to the international art world. As longstanding global partner of the shows in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong, BMW will once again offer its VIP shuttle service and invite visitors to the BMW Reception as well as the BMW Art Journey Talk.

On the evening of June 12, the first preview day of the show, BMW will host an exclusive reception at UBS Forum together with Art Basel and UBS. Together with the Basel Chamber Orchestra, Samson Young, winner of the first BMW Art Journey, a joint initiative founded in 2015 by BMW and Art Basel, will perform an arrangement of one of the movements from a recent composition, titled "Such Sweet Thunder," which incorporated recordings of bells collected during his journey.

Celebrating the third anniversary of the BMW Art Journey, the BMW Art Journey Talk will take place on June 13. As part of a panel, three former winners of the BMW Art Journey will talk about their experiences, encounters and insights gained during their respective journeys. The event will feature Hong Kong-born media artist and composer Samson Young, British artist and graduate of English Literature Abigail Reynolds and Los Angeles-based artist and landscape architect Max Hooper Schneider.

“For Whom the Bell Tolls: A Journey Into the Sonic History of Conflicts” is the title of Samson Young’s BMW Art Journey 2015. During his journey, the artist focused on bells that give form to the idea of “conflict” in a variety of ways. Young documented the bells to create works of visual art and music composition in response to them. For further information, please visit www.press.bmwgroup.com/samson-young-is-awarded-the-first-bmw-art-journey

On her motorcycle trip, Abigail Reynolds visited several continents the lost libraries of the Silk Road to connect the complex religious and secular narratives of Europe and Asia. In her BMW Art Journey 2016 “The Ruins of Time: Lost Libraries of the Silk Road”, Reynolds documented her journey photographically and created a cluster of objects, structures and moving-image works, the latter being her first attempt to work in this medium . For further information, please visit www.press.bmwgroup.com/abigail-reynolds-is-awarded-the-next-bmw-art-journey

Max Hooper Schneider’s BMW Art Journey 2017 “Planetary Vitrine: The Reef as Event” is a maritime exploration of coral reefs around the globe. Each reef system, from the Bikini Atoll and the reef affected by the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan, to Lake Baikal in Russia has been compromised by its contact with humans. Hooper Schneider used insights and the documentation from his journey to create vitrines serving as aquariums, co-created by artist, reef, and other natural and human participants in the process. For further information, please visit www.press.bmwgroup.com/max-hooper-schneider-selected-for-next-bmw-art-journey

The next winner of the BMW Art Journey will be announced during the BMW Art Journey Talk. The nominees are: Ali Kazim, represented by Jhaveri Contemporary, Mumbai, Zac Langdon-Pole, represented by Michael Lett, Auckland, and Gala Porras-Kim, represented by Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles.

As long-term partner, BMW has supported the shows of Art Basel in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong for many years. Launched in 2015, the BMW Art Journey is a collaboration between Art Basel and BMW, created to recognize and support emerging artists worldwide. From 2018 onwards this unique award is open to artists who are exhibiting in the Discoveries sector during Art Basel in Hong Kong. A judging panel comprised of internationally renowned experts meet first to select a shortlist of three artists from the sector, who are then invited to submit proposals for a journey aimed to further develop their ideas and artistic work. The jury reconvenes to choose a winner from the three proposals. For further information on the BMW Art Journey, please visit: www.bmw‑art‑journey.com.

In addition to Art Basel in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong, BMW supports renowned art fairs and art initiatives including TEFAF, Gallery Weekend and Kochi Muziris Biennale. BMW further cooperates on a long-term basis with cultural institutions and creative minds the world over to promote formats such as BMW Tate Live or Preis der Nationalgalerie.