The Calder Foundation and BMW are pleased to announce the official presentation of the Calder BMW Art Car (Artist's Proof). At the opening of the exhibition "Alexander Calder: Minimal / Maximal" at the Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin on August 22, 2021, the Artist's Proof of the first BMW Art Car will be exhibited for the first time. Commissioned by the Calder Foundation and supported by BMW Group Classic, the project realizes Calder's dream of owning his BMW Art Car as a kinetic work of art.
Alexander S. C. Rower, grandson of the artist and President of the Calder Foundation, recalls: "I first saw the BMW Art Car as a child at the opening of my grandfather's comprehensive retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1976. I asked him about the roar of the M49 engine. Smiling, he replied that he wanted to make one for himself. He died just a few weeks later.
Since then, it has always been my dream to make his wish come true, to bring the vehicle back to life and experience it in its entirety. I am therefore all the more thrilled that this day has finally come. On the occasion of the opening of the exhibition 'Minimal / Maximal' at the Neue Nationalgalerie, which focuses on participation as a key element in Calder's work, the vehicle's engine will be started."
It is important to emphasize that the Artist's Proof is not a replica, replica, copy, reproduction or 1:1 image of the 1975 BMW Art Car by Alexander Calder. Rather, it is an identical Artist's Proof, which the artist was entitled to, but which has not yet been realized. All details correspond to an original BMW 3.0 CSL and so the Artist's Proof will bear the same chassis number with the addition "AP" (227592/AP).
The origins of Alexander Calder's (1898-1976) legendary BMW Art Car lie less in the automotive industry than in aviation. In 1974, the French auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain visited the artist in his studio in Saché, France, and suggested that he transfer his recently completed collaboration with Braniff International Airways to the world of the automobile. The DC-8-62 airplane painted by Calder, whose maiden flight took place in 1973, was a great success. BMW and Hervé Poulain then commissioned the artist to design a BMW racing car to compete in the 1975 24 Hours of Le Mans. This significant collaboration is the starting point of BMW's entire Art Car Collection - a high-profile and prestigious fusion with the art world. Following the participation of Calder's BMW Art Car in the Le Mans race, the car was featured in the artist's major retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in 1976, where it occupied a prominent place for the duration of the popular exhibition.
Poulain recalls: "As a young racing driver, it was an exciting moment to meet the great artist Alexander Calder at his home in Saché. Driving the racing car, which was to become the first vehicle in the prestigious BMW Art Cars series, is a memory that will stay with me forever. I am delighted that thanks to the Artist's Proof, even more people can now experience Calder's vision."
To realize the project, the Calder Foundation and BMW Group Classic consulted key members of the original team. These included not only Hervé Poulain, but also Jochen Neerpasch, BMW's most important supporter of the BMW Art Car Collection from the very beginning, and Walter Maurer, who was responsible for the painting of both the 1975 BMW Art Car by Alexander Calder and the 2021 Artist's Proof.
After its debut in Berlin, the Calder BMW Art Car (Artist's Proof) will be shown at The Bridge in Bridgehampton, New York on September 18, 2021. The vehicle will then be made available on loan to exhibitions worldwide by the Calder Foundation.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the BMW Group's commitment to culture, BMW has teamed up with Acute Art for a very special exhibition. Since July 21, the BMW Art Car by Alexander Calder and the renowned BMW Art Car Collection have been presented in augmented reality (AR) for the first time. Via the free Acute Art app, the rolling sculptures can be experienced digitally worldwide, by anyone and at any time.
It is not only the BMW Group's cultural commitment that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, but also the BMW 3.0 CSL. The vehicle model is not only a legend as a BMW Art Car. As a series version, it was launched on the road together with the BMW 3.0 CSi in 1971 and bore its characteristics in its name: Coupé. Sport. Lightweight construction. The lightweight coupés built in small series from 1971 onwards quickly gained special significance. The BMW 3.0 CSL was used in factory racing from 1973 and triumphed six times in the European Touring Car Championship alone up to 1979. It is still regarded today as an absolute icon of BMW automotive history.
Exhibition dates Calder BMW Art Car (Artist's Proof), 1975 / 2021
- Alexander Calder: Minimal / Maximal
New National Gallery
Potsdamer Straße 50, 10785 Berlin
Sunday, August 22, 2021, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm - The Bridge
1180 Millstone Rd, Bridgehampton, New York 11932 (USA)
Saturday, September 18 to Sunday, September 19, 2021
