BMW Art Cars Worldwide Tour First Stops at LACMA

For those who love both art and cars at the same extent, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) provides them with a 2 in one experience. BMW Art Cars designed by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg will be on display for visitors from February 12-24, 2009.

What's even better is that the amazing BMW cars which served as canvas for talented artists can be viewed for free as they are exhibited in the BP Grand Entrance, an admission-free area of the museum’s campus.

“We are pleased that the BMW Art Cars have returned to LACMA. The David Hockney car was on exhibition as part of David Hockney: A Drawing Retrospective in 1996 and we are eager to welcome this wider selection by some of the world’s most celebrated artists to the museum,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director.

And as if all these weren't already tempting enough, visitors interested in the exhibition get a bonus. In addition of the presentation, they will have the chance to watch rare, behind-the-scenes videos of the four cars. The videos show a young Warhol constructing his car, Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg discussing their inspirations and influences in creating their respective pieces, and various experts including Hervé Poulain, the race car driver and initiator of the Art Car Project, discussing the resulting impact of these works.

“Art, architecture, and design are very important to our daily business,” said Chris Bangle, BMW Chief Designer. “We are proud that some of the most respected artists in the world have interpreted their thoughts and their points of view through our cars. It is an interesting and inspiring process and we always look forward to the moment an artist draws the curtain.”

As a matter of fact, the idea of the BMW Art Car Project started more than 30 years ago when the French race car driver Hervé Poulain wanted to invite American artist Alexander Calder  to express his talent on his BMW racing car. Since then, other talented artists like Stella, Warhol, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg, followed the example of Calder and designed sixteen BMW Art Cars, based on both racing and regular production vehicles.

However, don't be too disappointed if you can not get to Los Angeles in this period. In fact, this is the first stop BMW Art Cars are making in their worldwide tour. The next stop will be in New York City’s historic Grand Central Terminal, March 24-April 6, before heading to a three-city museum tour in Mexico.