“BMW ART CARS – 20 ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED AT BMW WELT”: Exhibition opens in Munich.

Munich. For the first time ever,all BMW Art Cars are brought together in one place: with the exhibition “BMW ART CARS – 20 ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED AT BMW WELT”, BMW is presenting the complete series of “rolling sculptures” in Munich from 29 July to 31 August 2026, honouring the collection’s 50th anniversary. The opening today, Tuesday 28 July 2026, also marks the conclusion of the BMW Art Car World Tour, which has showcased the collection at venues in over 30 countries worldwide. A particular highlight of the exhibition is Olafur Eliasson’s “BMW H2R Project”, which, since its world premiere in 2007, has only been presented to the public as a complete installation on three occasions. In Munich, the exhibition is also being promoted in the city through a poster campaign featuring the colour-coded photo series of the BMW Art Cars by photographer René Staud.  

The BMW Art Car Collection began in 1975: on the initiative of the French racing driver and art auctioneer Hervé Poulain and Jochen Neerpasch, then Head of BMW Motorsport, the artist Alexander Calder designed a racing car.

“When we prepared the first automotive art installation with Alexander Calder for the 24-hour race at Le Mans, we assumed it would be a one-off event. But even when the artwork was created and the Calder BMW 3.0 CSL was presented in Paris, and certainly when it was racing at Le Mans, we were convinced that it would not be the last art project involving cars. I would never have dreamed that it would become the world's most important automotive art series.” Jochen Neerpasch

With its iconic architecture and its role as a place of encounter, BMW Welt provides the ideal setting for the most comprehensive presentation to date of the BMW Art Car Collection in a venue open to the public. Works by iconic artists such as Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei and Julie Mehretu make the collection a vibrant panorama of the most important voices in modern and contemporary art. At the same time, these “rolling sculptures” – from the BMW 3.0 CSL to the BMW Z1, right through to the BMW M Hybrid V8 – offer a cross-section of BMW’s design and technological history. 

An exhibition tour through 50 years of BMW Art Car history. 
The exhibition takes the audience on a journey that begins with the most recent work and leads back to the origins of the collection. Right from the entrance area, introductory video documentaries bring the history and significance of the BMW Art Car Collection to life. The exhibition opens by focusing on two of the collection’s most recent additions: the BMW Art Car #20 by Julie Mehretu and the BMW Art Car #19 by John Baldessari. Julie Mehretu’s BMW Art Car project illustrates that the series now extends far beyond the automobile: alongside creating her BMW M Hybrid V8, she co-founded the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) with film producer and screenwriter Mehret Mandefro. The initiative supports artists and filmmakers from Africa and the diaspora; the first major exhibition is set to open in December 2026 at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town.

As the tour continues, the exhibition in the auditorium unfolds as a chronological journey through the decades. A timeline on the walls, leading back into the past, frames the presentation and makes the development of the collection just as traceable as the various artistic and technological contexts in which it was created. The exhibition concludes with the first BMW Art Cars displayed on a podium, with Alexander Calder’s BMW Art Car #1 – the collection’s starting point – taking centre stage.

A highlight is Olafur Eliasson’s “BMW H2R Project” (BMW Art Car #16) on the East forecourt. BMW Welt is only the fourth location worldwide where this artwork – based on a hydrogen prototype – has been publicly displayed as a “frozen” installation since its world premiere in 2007. Eliasson replaced the bodywork of the BMW H2R with a mesh-like structure made of reflective metal and coated it with several layers of frozen water. The entire structure weighs around two tonnes and is illuminated from within – a poetic reflection on sustainability.

“By bringing together art, design, social and environmental issues, I hope to contribute to a different way of thinking-feeling-experiencing cars and seeing them in relation to the time and space in which we live.” Olafur Eliasson

Digital exhibition guides.
The exhibition is complemented by a digital offering from BMW Welt that combines art, technology and interaction. The digital application Treasure Hunt invites visitors to discover the BMW Art Cars playfully. After scanning just five BMW Art Cars, an exclusive voucher is unlocked; once registered, this can be redeemed on site for a refreshment at “Cooper’s Garden.” The Treasure Hunt combines exploration with in-depth information on art, design and innovation, enhancing the exhibition experience in an entertaining way.

Artlas app developed a guide specifically for the exhibition, providing personalised digital access to all 20 BMW Art Cars – ranging from concise descriptions of the works and curated themed tours to in-depth background information in text and audio. Visitors can point their phone at any car to learn more, or ask anything about the exhibition through the in-app, curator-verified AI chat. The app is aimed equally at children, families, art enthusiasts and experts, regardless of their knowledge level, and supports 25 languages. The app can be downloaded for smartphones at www.artlas.art.

General Information. 
“BMW ART CARS – 20 ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED AT BMW WELT.”

Opening (by invitation only): 28 July 2026, 6.30 pm
Artists’ talk (by invitation only): 28 July 2026, 7.00 pm “Body, Machine, Public Space. Artists on the Cultural Meaning of the Automobile” with Göksu Kunak (artist), Robin Rhode (artist) and Yilmaz Dziewior (Director of the Museum Ludwig and member of the BMW Art Car jury)

Exhibition dates: 29 July–31 August 2026
Venue: BMW Welt (Auditorium), Am Olympiapark 1, 80809 Munich
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday 9.00 am–6.00 pm (free admission)

Open Guided Tours
Short guided tours taking place daily for individual visitors and small groups.

Times: Twice daily (German & English)
Until 14 August: 1.00 pm (DE) | 2.30 pm (EN)
From 15 August: 12.00 pm (DE) | 2.30 pm (EN)
Duration: approx. 30 minutes
Group size: max. 15 people
Booking: Tickets are available online via the ticket shop.

Exclusive private tours can be booked on request at booking@bmw.com.

BMW Welt Lifestyle & Accessories Shop:
As well as the newly reprinted book “BMW Art Cars“ (Hatje Cantz Verlag), the 1:43 scale models by Alexander Calder and Roy Lichtenstein will be available to purchase from the shop at BMW Welt for the duration of the exhibition. This is also your last chance to acquire selected pieces from the Art Car Capsule Collection by Cao Fei (BMW Art Car Artist #18).

BMW Art Car Collection at BMW Welt.

1. Alexander Calder / BMW 3.0 CSL / 1975
2. Frank Stella / BMW 3.0 CSL / 1976
3. Roy Lichtenstein / BMW 320i Turbo / 1977
4. Andy Warhol / BMW M1 / 1979
5. Ernst Fuchs / BMW 635 CSi / 1982
6. Robert Rauschenberg / BMW 635 CSi / 1986
7. Michael Nelson Jagamara / BMW M3 Group A / 1989
8. Ken Done / BMW M3 Group A / 1989
9. Matazo Kayama / BMW 535i / 1990
10. César Manrique / BMW 730i / 1990
11. A.R. Penck / BMW Z1 / 1991
12. Esther Mahlangu / BMW 525i / 1991
13. Sandro Chia / BMW M3 GTR / 1992
14. David Hockney / BMW 850 CSi / 1995
15. Jenny Holzer / BMW V12 LMR / 1999
16. Olafur Eliasson / BMW H2R / 2007
17. Jeff Koons / BMW M3 GT2 / 2010
18. Cao Fei / BMW M6 GT3 / 2017
19. John Baldessari / BMW M6 GTLM / 2016
20. Julie Mehretu / BMW M Hybrid V8 / 2024

Further information at:
BMW Welt
BMW Art Car Collection

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