BMW: Jeff Koons’ Art Car to race at Le Mans

BMW has announced that the 17th Art Car created by Jeff Koons will be racing at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, following the heritage of Calder, Stella, Liechenstein, Warhol and Holzer cars. On June 12-13 the BMW M3 GT2 with Koons’ designed look will race the world’s most famous endurance race, just a few days after its premiere at Paris’ Centre Pompidou on June 1.

In a press conference held in New York City Jeff Koons also presented for the first time his preliminary design concept for the car. Resulting from the artist’s creative process the first sketch of what is to become the racing car shows a black ground brought to life by the artist’s signature saturated hues.

“These race cars are like life, they are powerful and there is a lot of energy,” said Koons. “You can participate with it, add to it and let yourself transcend with its energy. There is a lot of power under that hood and I want to let my ideas transcend with the car – it’s really to connect with that power.”

Also attending the press conference were the President of the Centre Pompidou Alain Seban, BMW of North America President Jim O’Donnell, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen, and BMW Le Mans driver Andy Priaulx of Great Britain.

“This is a momentum building year for us that speaks to the essence of the brand and the latest chapter of the BMW Art Car program is certainly part of this,” said O’Donnell.  “It’s an absolute delight for all of us to be working with Jeff on this program that is part of the fabric of BMW.”

On June 1 Centre Pompidou, in the French capital, will see the official presentation of Jeff Koons’ Art Car, as it did in 1977 when Roy Lichtenstein first unveiled and signed his car. Koons car will receive the number “79”, paying tribte to the 1979 Andy Warhol car.

“Ever since it was created back in 1977, the Centre Pompidou has acted as an interface, a platform of exchange between creative art and society, striving to expose the larger public to the art of our time in the firm belief that art can foster a more innovative and flexible society,” said Alain Seban, President of the Centre Pompidou.  “For this reason the Centre Pompidou is glad to join BMW’s project which, I trust, can go a long way in bringing together creation and society by inviting the great artists of our time – from Roy Lichtenstein in 1977 to Jeff Koons today – to challenge the most mythical object of our era, the car, through a unique creation.”

Since the announcement that Koons would create the 17th BMW Art Car the artist has been collaborating with BMW’s team in Munich to ensure that the car will be ready for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“It is a fascinating and inspiring exercise to witness an artist present his or her point of view through one of our cars. To see Jeff Koons take his unique sensibility and bring it to a BMW race car as he works with our team to translate his vision into a race-ready car is to truly watch the connection be made between technical and artistic intelligence,” said Frank-Peter Arndt, member of the Board of Management for the BMW AG with responsibility for BMW Group’s international cultural formats.

To receive further inspiration to his designed Jeff Koons even traveled to Sebring, Florida, to put on a helmet and join BMW’s American Le Mans Series race team, experiencing the M3 GT2 at race speed.