BMW Group Middle East is set to bring an extraordinary highlight, coinciding with the BMW Art Car Collection’s 50th anniversary, to this year’s edition of Art Dubai (April 16-20): the BMW M1 Art Car transformed by the visionary artist Andy Warhol – amongst the most celebrated pieces in the legendary collection – will take centre stage in an exclusive showcase at the region’s premier art fair.
Warhol’s bold and expressive strokes turned the BMW M1 into a moving canvas, capturing the essence of speed, dynamism, and artistic revolution. Reflecting on his creation, Warhol himself declared in 1979: “I love that car. It has turned out better than the artwork.”
Now, decades later, and for the first time ever, this masterpiece is making its way to Dubai, marrying the worlds of automotive excellence and contemporary art.
“The BMW Art Car collection embodies our commitment to creativity, innovation, and cultural expression,” said Karim-Christian Haririan, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East.
“Andy Warhol’s BMW M1 Art Car is a true masterpiece that bridges the worlds of art and automotive excellence, and we are thrilled to bring this iconic work to Art Dubai 2025.
“Our participation in this year’s Art Dubai reinforces BMW Group Middle East’s dedication to fostering artistic dialogue and cultural exchange in the region. This moment not only celebrates 50 years of BMW Art Cars but also highlights our ongoing support for the arts and our role in shaping creative conversations worldwide.”
Prof. Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement, BMW Group, added: “Art and culture have been part of the DNA of the BMW Group for over 50 years. That’s why I’m proud to see BMW Middle East not just participating in the region’s cultural scene, but actively shaping it.
“With the BMW Art Car World Tour now underway, I’m especially delighted that the Middle East is playing a role in this global celebration of heritage, innovation, art and design.”
BMW Art Talk
A BMW Art Talk – on the theme: Driven by Art: Are Commissions and Co-Creations the Future? – will be held on April 17 at Art Dubai. This talk allows for a deeper introspection into the evolution of the BMW Art Car series over the past 50 years, examining its intersection with art, design, and automotive innovation.
The panel will feature a variety of speakers, including Hans Ulrich Obrist (curator and artistic director); Stephanie Rosenthal (art historian and curator, Director of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi); Azu Nwagbogu (Nigerian art curator and cultural advocate, Founder and Director of the African Artists’ Foundation) and Dr Thomas Girst.
Speakers will explore how the BMW Art Car collection has served as both a canvas for visionary artists and a mirror of societal and technological change, while also examining the impact of commissioned art on cultural narratives and the future of artistic collaboration through co-creations.
The Fourth BMW Art Car: Andy Warhol, 1979.
The individual meets the mass-produced in Andy Warhol’s art.
But instead of covering the prototype BMW M1 with quotations from pop culture, Warhol reached for his paintbrush and left his own, very personal signature on the car, which had only recently left the drawing board of design legend Giorgio Giugiaro. With broad brushstrokes, 13 pounds (six kilograms) of paint and in just 28 minutes, Warhol covered the car in colours and textures that clearly reveal his artistic gestures, even today.
“I have tried to give a vivid depiction of speed,” he explained.
“If a car is really fast, all the contours and colours will become blurred.”
Hervé Poulain, the founder of the BMW Art Car Collection, witnessed Warhol painting the car and compared it to a live dance performance.
Warhol (1928-1987) is considered one of the most influential artists of the modern age and a major proponent of Pop Art. Established in 1962, his legendary New York studio – The Factory, a meeting place for artists, musicians and actors – revolutionised how art was understood, blurring the boundaries between advertisements and high culture.
His iconic series of portraits, showing such figures as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Mao Zedong, along with his screen prints of consumer goods, made him one of the most-referenced artists of his time. His works and ideas continue to shape pop culture and the art market today.
Warhol’s Art Car raced for the first and only time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979. Numbered 76, the M1 was driven by Manfred Winkelhock from Germany, as well as Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot from France, finishing sixth overall and second in its class.
For more information, please visit www.bmw-me.com/en.