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World Premiere: BMW M6 GT3 Art Car by Cao Fei Goes Digital

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World Premiere of the latest BMW Art Car on May 31 at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing.

The BMW M6 GT3 Art Car will race at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau in November 2017.

Beijing, China – May 31, 2017... The future is now: Following the contributions by Jeff Koons and John Baldessari, Cao Fei (b. 1978) is the youngest and first Chinese artist ever to create a BMW Art Car. By employing augmented and virtual reality, the internationally acclaimed Chinese multimedia artist addresses the future of mobility such as autonomous driving, airborne cars and digitalization. In the presence of Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and hundreds of invited guests, the reveal of BMW Art Car #18 was celebrated at the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing on May 31.

Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG: “We were thrilled by the decision of an independent jury of international museum directors to have nominated Cao Fei. Considered as a lucky number in China, her vehicle is the official 18th rolling sculpture of the collection. For her project, Cao Fei chose an unprecedented and immersive approach, empowering the viewer to engage with the artwork through cutting-edge technology. This is truly a BMW Art Car for the 21st century!”

Cao Fei commented upon her BMW Art Car: “To me, light represents thoughts. As the speed of thoughts cannot be measured, the #18 Art Car questions the existence of the boundaries of the human mind. We are entering a new age, where the mind directly controls objects and where thoughts can be transferred, such as unmanned operations and artificial intelligence. Which attitudes and temperaments hold the key to opening the gateway to the new age?”

The BMW Art Car #18 by Cao Fei
Cao Fei’s work is a reflection on the speed of change in China, on tradition and future. With her BMW Art Car project, she delves into a trajectory spanning thousands of years, paying tribute to Asia’s ancient spiritual wisdom as it swiftly spreads out into the third millennium. The multimedia artist approached the BMW Art Car in a way typical for her artistic practice, building a parallel universe. The body of work consists of three different components: a video focusing on a time traveling spiritual practitioner, augmented reality features picturing colorful light particles, accessible via a dedicated app (App Store: keyword “BMW Art Car #18”), and the BMW M6 GT3 racecar in its original carbon black. Paying tribute to the carbon fiber structure of the racecar chassis, Cao Fei’s holistic use of a non-reflective black incorporates the car into the possibilities of the digital world.

Within this concept, Cao Fei’s implementation of video art as well as augmented reality creates an environment of which the M6 GT3 is an essential part. In her video work, the practitioner executes spiritual movements, which echo in colorful streams of light. When the app is used within the premises of the car, these light swishes become an AR installation floating above and around the BMW M6 GT3 – involving the spectator as an interactive agent of participation. This narrative reflects on a traditional spiritual ceremony very common throughout Asia in which new objects such as automobiles are being blessed, in this case wishing good luck to car and driver. On a broader level, the light elements mirror what the eyes cannot see and the mind cannot picture.

During the course of over three years following her announcement, Cao Fei took part in a racing experience with female race driver Cyndie Allemann in Switzerland in 2015. During manifold visits to headquarters, she worked closely with BMW Group’s engineers, designers, and digital specialists. For her research, the artist also went on an extended BMW plant visit to Tiexi.

The Jury
The jury of the 18th BMW Art Car consisted of the following members: Richard Armstrong, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York); Chris Dercon, then Director, Tate Modern (London); Juan Gaitán, Director, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo (Mexico City); Gabriele Horn, Director, Berlin Biennale (Berlin); Udo Kittelmann, Director, Nationalgalerie Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; Dr. Matthias Mühling, Director, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus (Munich); Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director, Serpentine Gallery (London); Shwetal A. Patel, Kochi-Muziris Biennale (India); Beatrix Ruf, Director, Stedelijk Museum (Amsterdam); Bisi Silva, Director, The Centre for Contemporary Art (Lagos); Philip Tinari, Director, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing) and Adam D. Weinberg, Director, Whitney Museum of American Art (New York).

Joint statement of the international jury on Cao Fei’s BMW Art Car project: “Cao Fei plays with many different dimensions in her artistic practice. In the international art world, she is well known for exploring virtual realities and digital platforms in her works, while eventually bringing her narrative back into the analogue world. We are not surprised that she picked a scenario that is on the one hand imaginary, even fictitious, but then on the other hand very concrete and physical.“

Quotes on the occasion of the World Premiere of BMW Art Car #18
The 18th BMW Art Car was revealed in the presence Olaf Kastner (President and CEO of BMW Group, China Region), Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director), Augusto Farfus (BMW Works driver) and Fan Di’an (President of China Central Academy of Fine Arts).

Olaf Kastner, President and CEO of BMW Group, Region China: “We are proud to present the first BMW Art Car designed by a Chinese artist, Cao Fei, who is also by far the youngest. She is a solid example of BMW Group’s commitment to promote the new emerging generation of Chinese artists. We are not only active in shaping the future of mobility, but also in developing strong social connections with China through cultural engagement initiatives, dating back as early as 11 years ago. China is undergoing huge and rapid developments, especially in the digital landscape. The 18th BMW Art Car pays tribute to the flourishing changes in the Chinese society.”

Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director: “The 18th BMW Art Car is perfectly suited to this era. Cao Fei took the logical step of creating the first ever digital Art Car. The augmented reality experience makes this BMW M6 GT3 unique. For everyone involved at BMW Motorsport it was both exciting and fascinating to work with Cao Fei and her team on this project. This makes 2017 a very special year in the history of BMW Art Cars. First, the BMW M6 GTLM Art Car of John Baldessari took to the track in Daytona, at the end of the season comes Art Car #18 by Cao Fei in Macau. This makes the tradition of BMW Art Cars livelier than ever.”

Augusto Farfus, BMW Works driver: “It’s a huge honour for me to race Cao Fei’s BMW Art Car, the 18th member of the BMW Art Car Collection. I’m extremely proud that I get the chance to drive my second Art Car this year. This is absolutely unique for a racing driver. I’m really looking forward to diving deeper into this project and learning more about the artist’s ideas and her philosophy behind it.”

Fan Di’an, President of China Central Academy of Fine Arts: “Cao Fei’s achievement in creating the 18th BMW Art Car through augmented reality as a multimedia installation resonates with the rapid development and huge transformation of China over the past decades, such as globalization, urbanization and digitalization, which drives the flourishing development of contemporary art in China. In the increasingly digitalized world, technology has become an important means for artists to create. I’m delighted to see Chinese artists are at the forefront of digital art.”

BMW M6 GT3 Art Car by Cao Fei

VIDEOS

[DrivenByE30]

@rtsy

[raysspl]

Real neat

[Gray_Panther]

Is he an ancestor of Cao Cao?

[bim2er]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Is he an ancestor of Cao Cao?

That would be, "Is she an ancestor"

[E9TOU]

Am I missing something? The car looks like it has a couple swirls and scribbles on it. I watched a couple of the vids to see if there's more explanation but there doesn't seem to be. It's kind of underwhelming like the other M6 art car.

[Yeineken]

I'm confused. Did they forget to put the art on the car? This is on the same lines as FAST and a picture of the car on the car...

[MSCD]

I like the black car. Art is in the eye of the beholder- digital art is cool I guess but this doesn't really make a lot of sense for a race car.... when it races. Virtual Reality games maybe!

[twin fed]

I think that BMW is getting a little to "artsy" with these cars and need to get some real artists back in the fold.

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by MSCD

I like the black car. Art is in the eye of the beholder- digital art is cool I guess but this doesn't really make a lot of sense for a race car.... when it races. Virtual Reality games maybe!

that is my understanding of how this works as well.. that when the car is seen... and viewed with VR glasses.. then one sees the artwork. ?

The use of a " digital canvas" is indeed unique...and also a bit confusing overall.

[M3 Number 86]

what's with the complaining going on?

This is 13258910475360817460 times better than any of these art cars ive ever seen with the same standard lines just painted on the car like a child did it.

the only issue i have is, at the actual exhibition, is it just a black car sitting there?

[N54B30A]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Is he an ancestor of Cao Cao?

Pretty sure almost everyone missed that reference. That guy was one of my early childhood challenges

[Nar]

Where is the art?

[shivaswrath]

Is this a joke?

[Bluesummer]

wtf

[mockngbrd]

pfffffft

[Stu Pedasho]

Originally Posted by Bluesummer

wtf

It's an acquired taste I hope I never acquire.

[Froggi]

What was up with that chicken riding a Roomba in one of the videos? So many questions...Like how did they get it to stay on there, is it sitting on an egg, is it a dead stuffed chicken, is it a fake chicken, could this be considered animal cruelty... Maybe they should've put a picture of that on the side of the car.

Anyway the digital virtual reality art looks pretty cool, but I want to see it actually applied to the car not just floating over it. I assume these designs will get applied to the actual body of the car later?

[infinitekidM2C]

ban OP?

[saeedg48]

Chinese people dont know shit about good design.

[Froggi]

"During the course of over three years following her announcement"... It took her three years to come up with this! Seriously? I guess you can't rush the creative process.

The guy in those pics reminds me of Big Trouble in Little China.

[Flying Ace]

I'm a little confused how this is art.