On May 21, Julie Mehretu revealed her design for the 20th BMW Art Car at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Her graffiti-style aesthetic has transformed the BMW M Hybrid V8, drawing inspiration from her painting Everywhen (2021–23), currently on view in her retrospective at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice. Featuring her characteristic multi-layered motifs and bright colors, the car will compete in the Le Mans 24-hour race this June.
The BMW Art Car Series, which started in 1975 with Alexander Calder’s color BMW 3.0 CSL, has become a prestigious honor for contemporary artists. Over the years, celebrated figures such as Jenny Holzer, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons have contributed to the project. The company showcases these vehicles at the BMW Museum in Munich, which are often loaned out for global exhibitions year-round.
Mehretu’s last high-profile corporate commission debuted in 2010 when she painted an 80-foot-long mural in the lobby of Goldman Sachs in New York. Her retrospective in Venice, “Ensemble,” is on view until January 6th, 2025.
