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BMW Invited Artists To Use the 2022 iX as a Canvas, Here's the Winning Result

BMW Slovenia wanted to mark the 50th anniversary of the German carmaker’s involvement in the art sector. Keeping this Bavarian tradition alive and, at the same time, supporting the local talent wasn’t going to be an easy task. But they pulled it off with the RE:DESIGN competition. A new iX bears the vision of Mr. Urban Klinkon, the winner of the contest.
BMW iX 8 photos
Photo: BMW Slovenia
The BMW M1 Painted by Andy WarholThe Winner of RE:DESIGN, the Painted iX, and BMW's Head DesignerBMW iX "The Sketch"BMW iX "The Sketch"BMW iX "The Sketch"BMW iX "The Sketch"BMW iX "The Sketch"
In the online world, Andy Warhol is the one artist that’s the easiest to identify as having a connection with BMW Art Cars. He painted an M1 by himself in 1979, for which he received no fee in exchange. His effort was astounding at the time, considering he used 13 pounds (six kilograms) of paint to show in several vivid colors what top speed looks like for the driver. He refused to work on a smaller scale model and have someone else do the full-size car, something that brought a lot of appreciation from car enthusiasts and the art community.

But what people don’t know is that BMW’s first art car wasn’t even their own idea. The driver of the BMW 3.0 CSL at Le Mans 24, Herve Poulain, brought this up and his racing car’s exterior ended up designed by Alexander Calder, an American sculptor with a fine taste for blending courageous shades.

Now, the all-electric iX is taking this impressive initiative further, and it’s happening in Slovenia at the same time as another iX is presented at Coachella that’s meant to promote e-mobility.

The EV SAV you see in the pictures is the result of a competition that started late last year. It kicked off with the participation of 17 local talents and ended with the winner being Mr. Urban Klinkon, whose vision is now beautifully put on this iX. The artist calls it “the Sketch.” He argues that using blue, yellow, and red helped him combine abstract conceptualizations for a “high-tech car and sustainable development.”

BMW’s head designer Domagoj Dukec was there to witness the submitted proposals and said, “combining art and technology are two unique components that can create an exciting and interesting experience.” Naturally, he also praised the iX for its ability to “perfectly blend technology and art.”

It’s not the first time a subsidiary of BMW has made waves with art and cars. BMW Romania held a unique coffee art exhibit in the U.S. that was designed entirely by Adrian Mitu in 2017.
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About the author: Florin Amariei
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Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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