BMW CAR CLUB (GB)
SOUTH EAST REGION
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THE BMW ART CAR COLLECTION
The venue for the display was NRW- Forum, Düsseldorf , Germany
Exhibition AUTO - NOM - Report by Melvyn Pettit
BMW ART CAR COLLECTION
After our group had a cup of Tea and taken all the photographs we could it was time to leave the NRW-Froum and take a walk along the Rhine River into the town center. Sunday morning we take the tram into town and do our last minute shopping and watch the display in the indoor shopping arcade of the music and the lights on the large Christmas tree. After a smooth flight home on BA A320 Airbus it was time to part company and reflect on the Tube ride home "Job Done" all BMW ART CARS in the can!
Frank Stella 1976 BMW 3.0 CSL
A small group of the South East Region club members took a city break over the weekend of 5/7th December 2003 to visit Düsseldorf, Germany. It gave them not only a chance to visit the Christmas Market, but the main reason was to finally have the opportunely to see all the 15 BMW ART CARS, for the first in their history being displayed all at the same venue. From 27th September to 4th January 2004, all the 15 BMW Art cars were shown together for the first time in the NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft (North Rhine-Westphalia Culture and Business Form) in Düsseldorf. The exhibition, by curator Ulrich Lehman who works at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and lectures in cultural studies and design, is entitled “Auto-Nom"
We arrive in Düsseldorf Friday morningafter an early morning flight from Heathrow. Pauline Wells survived her first flight (well done Pauline), and Glen's flu travelled well. After our group booked into our hotel we take to the streets and head into the main shopping area Konigsallee. The Christmas stalls were all around the area. The smell of Glühwein (Mulled wine) everywhere and the 1/2 metre Wurst (sausage) cooking nicely on the grills! Our group have the chicken soup from one of the stalls, and it went down well on this cold day. Many of the local children were taking advantage of the temporary ice rink that had been erected at the end of Konigsallee. The evening was spent in the very busy Hotel am SpichernPlatz restaurant and the free snaps with the drinks warmed up the club members after a long day.
Having travelled to BMW Mobile Tradition and the BMW Pavilion in Munich. Spartenburg in the USA and to Piccadilly, London for the first display of the David Hockney BMW 850csi and now Düsseldorf. My quest is now over as I have seen and photographed all the BMW ART CARS.
Robert Rauschenberg
1986 BMW 635 CSi
Jenny Holzer 1999 BMW V12 LMR
On the Saturday 6th December, which is St Nicholas Day in Germany, we make our to the NRW-Forum on the banks of The Rhine river. On the way Selwyn purchases a new digital video camera. We buy our tickets and I show the written consent I have arranged with the NRW-Forum, that we have been given the privilege to photograph the BMW ART Cars. Normally no cameras are allowed in the forum. The layout of the NRW-Forum is, two large display areas left and two rooms right from the entrance and cafe area. The first room we enter on the right has the Frank Stella 1976 BMW 3.0 CSL in one corner and also in the room was a Toyota made out of Bamboo cane and a complete set of Mercedes 190 body panels hung from the ceiling.
On the wall is a TV screen showing a video of a Freeway in Mexico City obstructed by a Truck and trailer in 1998. The next room has the Jenny Holzer BMW V12 LMR. The last time I saw this car it was being raced at Road Atlanta USA. On the wall were different coloured dented car panels entitled Crash Test. Sharing this room were drum type objects moving around with wing mirrors attached and they had some type of park distance control, as they moved away from each other and the people walking around them. Low down on the walls were some 1959 Cadillac front bumpers and lit so a shadow is thrown on the floor. They are entitled Sparrow Life takes flight.
12 BMW Art Cars on display
The first room on the left has the Robert Rauschenberg 1986 BMW 635 CSi in one corner. On close inspection this is the only BMW art car that the artists has not directly painted on to the bodywork of the car. It has printed on to clear film and then applied to the car. Also in the room on the walls are three pictures with the cars panels paintings and designs overlaid to make interesting pictures. On the floor were damaged car panels, etc arranged to make art, Selwyn had to have a close check, just incase a part he need could be there! On the other walls was a TV showing a film of model cars doing tricks, alongside two paintings of cut down and mixed cars. In the center of the room were two other cars.
BMW Art Car Collection
The notion of BMW Art Cars was conceived in 1975, the year in which French auctioneer and racing driver Herve Poulain first entered the Le Mans 24 hour race. Seaching for a link between art and motorsport, it occurred to him to have the bodywork of his 480 bhp BMW 3.0 CSL decorated by a professional artist. BMW were willing to go along with the idea. His friend, Alexander Calder was commissioned to embelish this rolling canvas. .
The results met with such all round approval that BMW decided to continue the experiment, and the BMW Art Car Collection was born.
Most of the artists have produced their draft version on a model car scaled down to 1:5. This was then transferred to the actual car by specialists, after the artists signed their work either on the bumper or roof. In 1979 Andy Warhol was the first to insist on doing everything himself in order to give the BMW M1 his personal touch from bonnet to boot. Another personal touch is on British artist David Hockney BMW 850 CSI Art Car. If you look at the nearside of the car you can see that he painted his dog reaching up to the front seat from the rear compartment. What started out in the world of motor racing soon spread to other areas and the range of artists increased , along with the diffrent syles. To date (2004) 15 BMW cars have been given the moving picture status.
One being a 1993 Giuletta that looked like it has just come straight from a road accident. The other was a thinned down Citroen. The last room presents it visitors with 12 BMW ART CARS displayed with six on the lower deck and six on the upper deck. As you can see from the picture they made an impressive sight, due to the fact their was nothing else in the plain painted display area.
All pictures copyright of Melvyn Pettit, must not be reproduced