ART DRIVE! The BMW Art Car Collection 1975-2010. Exhibition of Art Cars by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and David Hockney - On Show for First Time in the UK in East End Car Park.

London. The ICA, in partnership with BMW, the Mayor of London and the London 2012 Festival, will take over a landmark car park in Shoreditch for two weeks only from 21 July to 4 August for a unique exhibition of the BMW ART CAR COLLECTIONon show for the first time in the UK. Admission is free. 

The collection, initiated over 35 years ago, features BMW cars transformed by some of the world’s leading artists including: Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Ernst Fuchs, Robert Rauschenberg, M.J. Nelson, Ken Done, Matazo Kayama, César Manrique, Jeff Koons, A.R. Penck, Esther Mahlangu, Sandro Chia, Jenny Holzer and David Hockney.

ART DRIVE! THE BMW ART CAR COLLECTION will show the work of 16 international artists over six floors in the NCP Car Park on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch. The project, which brings together BMW’s excellence in car design and the ICA’s passion for and commitment to art, will be a one-off opportunity for art and design lovers as well as car enthusiasts.

The BMW ART CAR COLLECTION started when French racing driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain invited his friend Alexander Calder to design a car that married artistic excellence to 'an already perfect object'. The end result was a racing car that would ultimately compete in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1975. And so the BMW Art Car was born…  

Since then some of the greatest names in contemporary art have added to the collection creating a wide range of artistic interpretations. David Hockney’s 1995 Art Car paints the inside of the car on the outside, revealing everything from internal engine parts to a dog in the back. Rauschenberg incorporates photographic transfers of Ingres paintings while Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein used the canvas of the car to portray the essence of speed.

Quotes concerning “ ART DRIVE! The BMW Art Car Collection 1975-2010”

Ruth Mackenzie, Director of London 2012 Festival, said: "The London 2012 Festival is thrilled to be working with BMW and the ICA on what will be one of our most exciting pop up events of the summer - London has never seen these astonishing cars, and this free event will be a highlight of our festival".

“The ICA is delighted to be working with LOCOG, BMW and the Mayor of London’s office on this prestigious project,” adds Gregor Muir, Executive Director of the ICA. “Art Drive! presents an exciting opportunity for the ICA to reach out to new audiences.”

"With the BMW Art Cars in London a dream comes true at long last. The 16 'rolling sculptures' will fascinate all those who enjoy art, design, and the automobile“, remarks Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement, BMW Group.

“BMW gave me a model of the car and I looked at it time and time again. Finally, I thought it would be a good idea to show the car as if one could see inside.”  David Hockney

“I have tried to give a vivid depiction of speed. If a car is really fast, all contours and colours will become blurred”.

Andy Warhol

 “These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy. You can participate with it,add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy.” 

Jeff Koons

www.ica.org.uk/artdrive

To launch the project, the BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons was photographed in front of London’s Tower Bridge on Tuesday 3 July. To view the images, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/icalondon/sets/72157630389410410/

Images of all BMW Art Cars can be found by searching ‘art cars’ at https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/photoTeaserList.html?left_menu_item=node__3&isHomepage=true

You can also access documentary footage material of the entire BMW Art Car Collection at:
https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/tvFootageDetail.html?docNo=PF0003039

For an online tour of the entire BMW Art Car Collection, please visit:
http://www.bmw-artcartour.com/

BMW Group Cultural Engagement

For more than 40 years, 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 modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all the cultural activities it is involved in for granted – as this is just as essential for 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

The ICA
The Institute of Contemporary Arts [ICA] was founded by a group of radical artists and writers in the 1940s as a space for experimental and challenging arts practice. We are uniquely positioned on The Mall in central London in a Regency period building designed by John Nash. Since moving to its present location in 1968, the ICA has become the home of the British avant-garde and continues to foreground interdisciplinary art practice.

Well-known for its support for innovation and new talent across the contemporary arts, the ICA has sought out some exciting emerging names in design from the East End to help deliver this project, including Julia, Loop.pH and My Beautiful City.

The Cultural Olympiad and London 2012 Festival

The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Spread over four years, it is designed to give everyone in the UK a chance to be part of London 2012 and inspire creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.

The culmination of the Cultural Olympiad is the London 2012 Festival, the spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK.  Running until 9 Sept 2012, it celebrates the huge range, quality and accessibility of the UK's world-class culture including dance, music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion, film, comedy and digital innovation, giving the opportunity for people across the UK to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  For more details on the programme, to download the London 2012 Festival official guide and to sign up for information visit www.london2012.com/festival

The Mayor of London

The Mayor of London is supporting a huge programme of free events and cultural activities to add to the excitement of 2012. Working with outstanding international artists and world class cultural organisations this unprecedented Mayor of London Presents programme is taking place in every corner of the capital to add to and complement the London 2012 Festival. It includes Showtime, the largest outdoor arts festival ever seen in the capital, with dozens of electrifying artists from the UK and abroad coming to every borough, in high streets, parks and town centres; BT London Live, bringing live action from the Games, as well as sporting activities and entertainment to Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square; and Surprises bringing pop-up performances and once in a lifetime experiences to locations familiar and unusual, above your heads and atop landmark buildings.  Sign up or follow us at www.molpresents.com and on facebook and twitter.

The Art Drive! Project Team

Art Drive! takes the ICA to Shoreditch for the first time and is located in Great Eastern Street Car Park. Familiar to many locally the car park will be transformed into a temporary gallery, with care and consideration given to the use of environmentally-friendly materials and techniques for presentation and graphics. The ICA has teamed up with three east London-based groups in the fields of exhibition, event presentation and graphic design: My Beautiful City, Loop.pH and Julia.

My Beautiful City
My Beautiful City (MBC) specialises in producing unique events. We balance sophisticated design and originality to ensure an innovative approach to production and event management. Creating bespoke experiences for both corporate and private clients worldwide, MBC can guarantee that each event will impress and excite its guests. Having produced events internationally in Paris, Rome, New York, LA, Tokyo and Moscow, no challenge is too big. Creativity and innovation are at the heart of every MBC production, from unique catwalk shows, to private dinners, experiential events, product launches, music tours, and brand experiences. Our London based team, led by Founder/ Creative Director; Robin Scott-Lawson, consists of experienced production managers, set designers, lighting designers, 3D animators, installation artists, film makers and photographers. www.mybeautifulcity.org

Julia

Julia is Valerio Di Lucente (Italy), Erwan Lhuissier (France) and Hugo Timm (Brazil). Having met at the Royal College of Art in London, the trio founded the studio in 2008 upon graduation. Previous work includes typefaces, posters, books, identities and websites for cultural institutions and commercial companies such as Wallpaper magazine, The Royal College of Art, Design Museum and the British Council amongst others. www.julia.uk.com

Loop.pH

Loop.pH is a London based art and design studio intervening at an urban scale to re-imagine life in the city. The studio was founded in 2003 by Mathias Gmachl and Rachel Wingfield to create a new design practice reaching beyond specialist boundaries, mediating between digital and biological media and facilitating participatory design and urban crafts. www.loop.ph

For questions please contact:
Dr. Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Tel: +49 89-382-24753, Fax: +4989-382-10881

Antonia Niederländer

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Spokesperson Cultural Engagement

Tel: +49 89-382-10422, Fax: +49 89-382-10881

Leonie Laskowski

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Tel.: +49 89-382-45382, Fax: +49 89-382-10881

Internet : www.press.bmwgroup.com

E-mail : presse@bmw.de