BMW celebrates 50 years of art cars at Türkiye’s biggest art fair

Visitors to Türkiye’s largest art fair will see cars like never before this week. Two of the world’s most celebrated BMW Art Cars will go on display in Istanbul, marking the fair’s 20th anniversary and the 50th year of the collection.

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The first BMW Art Car, a boldly painted 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL by American sculptor Alexander Calder, will stand beside the most recent creation by Ethiopian-born, New York-based artist Julie Mehretu. Her design on a BMW M Hybrid V8 debuted in Paris last year before hitting the track at Le Mans.

“This is more than art on wheels, it’s history meeting the future,” said Thomas Girst, Head of BMW Group Cultural Engagement. “The cars embody speed, imagination, and cultural dialogue.”

The exhibition is part of the BMW Art Car World Tour, a global journey across five continents with stops in Hong Kong, France, China, and Italy. Istanbul joins the roster as a cultural hub where art, design, and engineering meet.

Contemporary Istanbul, running from Sept. 24–28 at Tersane Istanbul, will feature international galleries, museum collaborations, and a dedicated “Focus America” program highlighting New York’s influence on global art. Institutional leaders from the Guggenheim and Brooklyn Museum will speak at the fair’s “Dialogues” conference.

For collectors and visitors, the BMW showcase blends automotive design with cultural storytelling. The 20-car collection is often called “rolling sculptures” and has been shaped by artists from Calder to Andy Warhol.

Julie Mehretu’s design draws on her large-scale painting “Everywhen,” layering photographs, neon veils, and abstract marks. Calder’s original car, once raced at Le Mans, still inspires crowds nearly five decades later.

“This fair reflects Istanbul’s place on the global art map,” said Ali Güreli, founder of Contemporary Istanbul. “And with BMW’s Art Cars, we show how creativity transcends borders and industries.”