Julie Mehretu's 20th BMW Art Car Unveiled at Centre Pompidou

The 20th BMW Art Car, designed by Julie Mehretu, debuted at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The BMW M Hybrid V8 will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 15-16, 2024, featuring a "performative painting" based on one of Mehretu's artworks. This marks the first time Mehretu has collaborated with BMW on a three-dimensional format, transitioning from a two-dimensional image plane to an industrially designed object. The car will also appear at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Cernobbio from May 24-26. Mehretu was unanimously selected in 2018 by a jury including Koyo Kouoh, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, and Cecilia Alemani. This is the longest BMW Art Car project to date and the first to use a hybrid vehicle. The car's design incorporates an existing large-format painting from a recent series, featuring obscured photographs, dotted grids, neon spray paint, and gestural graffiti-like marks. The image was transferred to the vehicle using 3D mapping and applied as a film coating to comply with FIA regulations, as painting would compromise aerodynamics. Mehretu worked closely with the German team Race Spirit, led by Manuel Eberl and Gertraud Brenninger, who previously executed Jeff Koons' 17th BMW Art Car. The car will race with number 20, driven by Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns, and René Rast. Mehretu also designed the drivers' racing suits. The first BMW Art Car, by Alexander Calder, debuted at Le Mans in 1975, driven by Hervé Poulain.