Anniversary exhibition “BMW ART CARS – 20 ARTISTS, 50 YEARS OF INNOVATION. REUNITED AT BMW WELT” concluded on 31 August with a record-breaking attendance of over 120,000 visitors.

Munich. More than 120,000 visitors enjoyed the opportunity to experience the iconic “rolling sculptures” free of charge from 29 July to 31 August 2026 at BMW Welt, ranging from Alexander Calder (1975) to Julie Mehretu (2024). A particular highlight was Olafur Eliasson’s “BMW H2R Project”. The artwork, based on a hydrogen-powered prototype, was presented publicly as a complete “frozen” installation for the fourth time since its world premiere in 2007. New content in the BMW Welt App and selected BMW Art Cars as widgets in the BMW Panoramic iDrive will now create additional digital access points to the collection.

The exhibition marked the finale of the BMW Art Car World Tour, which has, since March 2025, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the BMW Art Car Collection. A global exhibition programme spanning more than 30 countries across five continents paid tribute to the unique connection between art, design and automobiles.

“Over the past few weeks, more than 120,000 visitors have demonstrated how art can bring people together and inspire them. It was especially rewarding to see people of all ages discover these unique vehicles. This tremendous response also highlights the special appeal of BMW Welt as a meeting place for culture, design, society and the automobile,” says Sandra Wittemer, Head of BMW Welt.

The BMW Art Cars will remain accessible online after the end of the anniversary exhibition: From September 30, 2026, the BMW Welt App will offer selected content on the creation and history of the collection, as well as extensive image and video material. This will enable users to explore the evolution of the BMW Art Cars over five decades anytime, anywhere.

For the first time ever, the collection is also being incorporated into current production vehicles, opening up an additional digital dimension. In the new BMW Panoramic iDrive, five selected BMW Art Cars can be integrated as widgets into the individually configurable display of BMW Panoramic Vision in almost all markets. Users can select their preferred Art Car and make it a personal part of their digital driving experience. BMW Panoramic Vision projects content clearly across the entire width of the windscreen, from A-pillar to A-pillar. The selected Art Car appears alongside other individually configurable information and applications. As a result, the artworks become mobile and easily accessible as a defining visual element within the interior of the vehicle.

The following Art Cars are available for selection:

#8 Ken Done / BMW M3 Group A / 1989

#10 César Manrique / BMW 730i / 1990

#11 A.R. Penck / BMW Z1 / 1991

#12 Esther Mahlangu / BMW 525i / 1991

#14 David Hockney / BMW 850 CSi / 1995

The “rolling sculptures” will also remain on the move physically and continue to be displayed in changing constellations around the world. Beginning September 3, BMW Art Car #6 by Robert Rauschenberg will be on display at the BMW Museum in Munich. BMW Art Car #20 by Julie Mehretu will be presented in Cape Town in December as part of the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC), which was initiated jointly by the artist and the BMW Group. The exhibition “Turning Towards the Sun” will be on view at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town from December 11, 2026, through August 15, 2027.

The presentation at BMW Welt traced five decades of artistic engagement with art and design, technology and innovation, motorsport and engineering. The BMW Art Car Collection was founded in 1975 when French racing driver and art auctioneer Hervé Poulain, together with Jochen Neerpasch, then Head of BMW Motorsport, invited artist Alexander Calder to transform a race car into a work of art. The resulting BMW 3.0 CSL competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975 and quickly became a crowd favourite. Today, the collection comprises 20 artworks. Renowned artists including Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei and Julie Mehretu have each contributed their own artistic perspective to the project.

The BMW Art Car exhibition at BMW Welt marked the finale of the BMW Art Car World Tour, the largest exhibition project in the history of the collection to date.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the BMW Art Cars, a global exhibition programme took place across five continents from March 2025 onwards. With 60 stops in more than 30 countries, the touring BMW Art Cars attracted more than two million visitors at leading art fairs, museums, motorsport events and cultural institutions worldwide. Highlights included Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Dubai, Auto Shanghai, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Le Mans Classic, the Louwman Museum in The Hague, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and The Bridge in the United States, Contemporary Istanbul, the Zoute Grand Prix in Belgium, the ADI Design Museum in Milan, Rétromobile in Paris, the RAD Art Fair in Bucharest, and the Market Art Fair in Stockholm. Prior to the closing exhibition in Munich, the BMW Art Car World Tour also stopped at the Classic Car House in Copenhagen and at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on Lake Como and the Munich Opera Festival.

Further information can be found at BMW Welt and the BMW Art Car Collection.

The BMW Group's Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.