Carpark Gallery: BMW Art Cars on show

Published Jul 27, 2012

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BMW's unique Art Car collection, featuring cars painted by international artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and David Hockney from 1975 to 2010, is on display in the UK for the first time, as the Art Drive collection takes over the East End Car Park in Shoreditch, London until 4 August.

The collection started when French racing driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain invited his friend Alexander Calder to design a racing livery for his 1975 Le Mans 24-Hour entry.

Since then some of the greatest names in contemporary art have added to the collection, creating a wide range of artistic interpretations.

David Hockney's 1995 design paints the inside of the car on the outside, revealing everything from internal engine parts to a dog in the back.

South African artist Esther Mahlangu's 1989 M3 Class A racer is resplendent in traditional Ndebele geometric motifs, Robert Rauschenberg incorporates photographic transfers of Ingres paintings while Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein use the canvas of the car to portray the essence of speed.

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