John Baldessari Creates An Art Car For BMW

The Art Car collection, launched in 1975 by BMW and produced in a collaboration with numerous iconic artists, recently presented its 19th addition at Art Basel in Miami Beach. Created by legendary American artist John Baldessari, the moving art piece joins artworks made by Olafur Eliasson, Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, and David Hockney, among many others. Much like his famous work, the M6 GTLM features Baldessari’s bright complementary colors and playful, satirical details. Large red and green dots adorn the roof and the bumper, while the artist’s signature stands out on the pristine white paint. The two sides of the car boast the word ‘fast’ and a miniature version of the same model, providing a dialogue between the multiple dimensional aspects of the project.

“I like the ambiguity, having two-dimensional and three-dimensional at the same time. Considering the car as an icon of contemporary life, my concept turned out playfully satirical, but it also highlights some of the trademark ideas that I use. So you can say, the BMW art car is definitely a typical Baldessari and the fastest artwork I ever created,” explains the conceptual artist. But this mobile work of art is not merely meant for an art museum, as it will participate in the Rolex 24 At Daytona race, which takes place on 27-28 January 2017. Photo credits: BMW.

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