Andy Warhol’s BMW M1 Art Car makes its debut in the Middle East at Art Dubai 2025. BMW Art Talk explores the role of co-creation and artistic commissions in the future of art.

Dubai/ Munich. The 2025 edition of Art Dubai is set
to take place at Madinat Jumeirah from 18 to 20 April, with VIP guests
welcomed for preview days on 16 and 17 April. As a long-term supporter
of the fair, BMW will showcase the iconic 4th BMW Art Car, painted by
Andy Warhol in just 28 minutes in 1979, on the fairground. The display
of Warhol’s BMW M1 at Art Dubai is part of the BMW Art Car World Tour,
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary BMW Art Car
Collection this year.

Founded in 2007, Art Dubai has established itself as the most
significant global art gathering in the Middle East, playing a pivotal
role in the rapid growth of the region’s art scene and creative
economy. Each year, the fair features around 120 contemporary, modern,
and digital galleries from over 40 countries, showcasing a diverse
range of artistic talent and positions. The gallery programme is
complemented by artist commissions, an ambitious education initiative,
and the most extensive talks and conference programming of any
international art fair, including the renowned Global Art Forum and
the annual Digital Summit. Art Dubai continues to champion galleries
and artists from less-represented geographies, serving as a vital
gateway for discovery, learning, and cultural exchange.

As part of the fair’s talk series, BMW will host the exclusive
Art Talk “Driven by Art: Are Commissions and Co-creations
the Future?” on 17th April at the
Auditorium of Art Dubai. The international panalists Azu
Nwagbogu (Founder and Director African Artists’ Foundation
and LagosPhoto Festival), Hans Ulrich Obrist
(Artistic Director SERPENTINE) and Dr Stephanie Rosenthal
(Director Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Project) will explore the rise
of co-creation as cultural phenomenon. Taking the iconic BMW Art Car
Initiative as a point of departure, the panelists will reflect on
decades of artistic collaborations they themselves initiated through
their curatorial practice and institutions, moderated by Prof
Dr Thomas Girst (Global Head of BMW Group Cultural Engagement).

The BMW Art Car World Tour and its stop in
Dubai
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the BMW
Art Car Collection – an unprecedented mix of technology, art, and
design that began in 1975 when French racing driver Hervé Poulain
invited artist Alexander Calder to paint a BMW 3.0 CSL. Since then,
the project has brought together visionary artists such as Roy
Lichtenstein, Esther Mahlangu, Jeff Koons, and Julie Mehretu, each
transforming a BMW vehicle into a “rolling sculpture“. To celebrate
this milestone, BMW has launched a global BMW Art Car World Tour to
showcase the collection at cultural institutions, museums and
platforms on all five continents.

In 1979, Andy Warhol transformed the BMW M1 into a radical canvas – a
car that blurred the lines between art, performance and design. The
exhibition of Warhol’s BMW Art Car at this year’s edition of Art Dubai
underlines BMW’s ongoing support for the arts and its commitment to
fostering artistic dialogue and cultural exchange in the region. As
part of the BMW Art Car World Tour 2025, Dubai joins this historic
celebration of the series on tour.