A.A.Murakami's SYMBIOSIS at Art Basel 2026
At Art Basel 2026, London and Tokyo-based artist duo A.A.Murakami premiered SYMBIOSIS, a BMW-commissioned installation that merges engineered systems with natural phenomena. The immersive work, on view from June 15 to 21 in Hall 1.1 at Messeplatz, Basel, features a sculptural monolith producing mist-filled bubbles, light, and mist that evolve under gravity and airflow. The installation translates BMW's Symbiotic Drive technology from the Neue Klasse into an ephemeral experience, surrounding the new BMW M760e xDrive. A.A.Murakami describes their practice as 'Ephemeral Tech,' using existence as material, akin to the Light and Space movement. The duo, Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves, emphasize surrendering control to physical forces. BMW's collaboration continues a tradition following Es Devlin (2024) and Alvaro Barrington (2025). The installation also showcases the underlying technology, highlighting the artists' engineering.
Key facts
- A.A.Murakami premiered SYMBIOSIS at Art Basel 2026.
- The installation is commissioned by BMW.
- SYMBIOSIS features mist-filled bubbles, light, and mist.
- The work is on view June 15–21, 2026 at Messeplatz, Basel.
- The installation surrounds the BMW M760e xDrive.
- It translates BMW's Symbiotic Drive technology into an ephemeral experience.
- A.A.Murakami is a London and Tokyo-based artist duo.
- The duo includes Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves.
- BMW's art collaborations previously featured Es Devlin (2024) and Alvaro Barrington (2025).
- The installation showcases the technology behind it.
Entities
Artists
- A.A.Murakami
- Azusa Murakami
- Alexander Groves
- Es Devlin
- Alvaro Barrington
- Richard Wentworth
Institutions
- BMW
- Art Basel
- designboom
- Venice Art Biennale
- Uzbekistan Pavilion
- Paradise City Art Gallery
- Studio Swine
- M+ Hong Kong
- Copenhagen Contemporary
Locations
- London
- Tokyo
- Basel
- Switzerland
- Messeplatz
- Hall 1.1
- Hayama
- Japan
- Venice
- Italy
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Aral Sea