Art on 4 wheels – When automobiles become art cars

We speak of art on four wheels when creative people give ordinary cars a unique personality, transforming them into true one-of-a-kind vehicles on the road. These rolling works of art are called art cars

Fortunately, in Germany there are a number of art projects and initiatives that allow artists and designers to get their hands on the paintwork and unleash their creativity on the canvas of "automobile" without creative limits.

Especially in large cities like Hamburg, you can find impressive examples of this form of automotive art . Every year, HafenCity becomes a hotspot for artistically designed vehicles. A special event at the KunstKantine regularly brings together car enthusiasts and art lovers to appreciate the technical and creative aspects of these unique works.

From vintage cars to modern BMWs – every vehicle can become a canvas for extraordinary designs, transforming the streets into veritable galleries on wheels. A fusion of technology and aesthetics, of automotive design classics and contemporary art, is created.

Nissi's art on wheels at the KunstKantine Hamburg

The vintage car-meets-art enthusiast event “Nissi’s Art on Wheels” took place in Hamburg last autumn for its fourth edition and was a complete success.

With a hint of Nissi's Cookies in the air, this artistic event invited visitors for the fourth time to lose themselves in the world of mobile works of art.

The car show showcased well-known brands such as Alfa Romeo, Porsche , Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Cadillac. A particular highlight was the classic car parade along the Elbe River, accompanied by a convertible with a trumpeter.

At Nissi's art canteen, visitors could admire works by artists with disabilities . Markus Blazaizak, a deaf artist, and Wolfgang Jung, a blind artist, took the opportunity to present their work to an interested art audience.

Artwork by established and emerging artists was exhibited on Überseeboulevard. Calligrapher Jeannine Platz creatively designed Nissi's suit live on stage.

The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the creation of an “Art Car” at the Prototype Museum. Guests were invited to a walk together, during which the renowned pop artist Larissa Kerner and Markus Blazaizak designed a prototype car live.

This artwork was on display at the museum until the end of the year and then auctioned off for charity. A visual treat for visitors and a tradition already upheld Andy Warhol

Mannheim Art Cruiser – Used car becomes mobile work of art

Our second stop takes us 600 km south to Mannheim in Hesse. There we find the Art Cruiser by the artist Sonja Kadar , a car that encourages passers-by to be spontaneously creative and can be painted with chalk.

transform the vehicle into a mobile crowd-pleasing artwork

She applied the chalkboard paint herself by hand to both sides, glued the chalk holder to the trunk, and gave the go-ahead. That's how the Art Cruiser was born.

The next morning, the Art Cruiser already completely decorated with new pictures and messages. The project is very popular ( SWR reported ) and shows how a simple used car can be transformed into a unique art project.

Sonja Kadar now makes her Art Cruiser available for various occasions such as children's birthdays or neighborhood festivals. She simply asks for a donation to her non-profit organization "Art-Exil" or a fuel voucher as payment.

The artworks on the Art Cruiser are only temporary, as they disappear due to rain or car washes. Sonja photographs all the pieces and shares them on Instagram so everyone can find their favorites. Despite the ephemeral nature of her artwork, Sonja enjoys great popularity, and many people book her Art Cruiser .

The 1987 Seat Ibiza Edition “César Manrique” and the BMW 730i Art Car

For the third pit stop, we travel back a few decades into the past.

This Seat Ibiza , designed by the renowned Spanish artist César Manrique for the Barcelona International Motor Show

The abstract artist César Manrique was born in 1919 in Arrecife on the island of Lanzarote. Even before his studies at the University of Fine Arts in Madrid, his abstract artworks were publicly exhibited. Despite his success in New York and his acquaintance with art luminaries such as Frank Stella and Roy Lichtenstein, he returned to Lanzarote in 1968 and began to enrich the stark landscape with his artworks.

He created buildings, objects, and constructions of extraordinary beauty from the lava fields. Manrique had an enormous influence on the volcanic island as a painter, sculptor, architect, and landscape designer, accomplishing the seemingly impossible.

This Art Car, , belonged to the talented artist himself and was proudly presented at the trade fair. For those with a greater interest in automobiles: comprehensive information about the SEAT Ibiza can be found at HACKEROTT.de.

Today, the artfully designed vehicle can still be admired at César Manrique's house on Lanzarote . The car's interior is just as appealing as its exterior, still lending it a touch of playfulness and elegance even after decades. Moreover, it now possesses a certain retro charm that could well appeal even to those who aren't SEAT enthusiasts.

After the SEAT, Manrique received a commission from the German car manufacturer BMW to create a new Art Car.

A portrait by Allary-Film accompanied the artist during the creation process of the BMW Art Car, which was shown at various exhibitions around the world (Louvre, Prado, etc.). César Manrique died in a car accident shortly afterwards, on September 25, 1992.

What remains is a timeless piece of automotive history that keeps the creative spirit of its creator alive.

Speaking of BMW Art Cars – A journey back to 1975

Roy Lichtenstein , Jenny Holzer, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, John Baldessari and Jeff Koons were recruited by BMW "Art Cars" in 1975

The BMW Art Cars are a fascinating example of how art and technology can be combined in an impressive way. The idea for this series originated from the dream of the French auctioneer, art collector, and amateur racing driver Hervé Poulain .

He desperately wanted to participate in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans , but not with an ordinary racing car; rather, he wanted a vehicle designed by a renowned artist. This audacious dream became a reality, and Poulain actually started at Le Mans in a BMW 3.0 CSL painted Alexander Calder

The result was a breathtaking supercar full of artistic expression and vibrant colors.

Andy Warhol 's Art Car is another example within the "BMW Art Cars" series that bridges the gap between art and technology. The symbiosis of mass production and individuality is clearly evident in the 1979 BMW Art Car designed by Andy Warhol.

He emphasized the depiction of speed on a BMW M1 by decorating its surface in record time (even before the film crew arrived). Warhol explained that he was trying to visually represent speed, and that at high speeds all lines and colors blur.

Since then, 18 more BMW Art Cars have been created. Each of these vehicles tells its own story through the lines, shapes, colors, and individual style of the respective artist – be it Roy Lichtenstein or Jeff Koons. Overall, the BMW Art Cars impressively demonstrate the diverse ways in which art and automobiles can connect.

A comprehensive illustrated book not only reveals the origin stories of the 19 artworks created so far, but also offers interesting background information on the connection between art and technology (see “Sculptures on four wheels – Chapter »Bookshelf«: BMW Art Cars” ).

Thomas Girst – editor of the illustrated book (published in 2018 by Hatje Cantz Verlag) and head of international cultural engagement at the BMW Group – considers Olafur Eliasson's "Your Mobile Expectations: BMW H2R Project" from 2007 to be the most striking break in the Art Car series.

The Danish-Icelandic artist has innovatively transformed a hydrogen prototype, the BMW H2R . He replaced the outer shell with a complex and delicate skin made of mirrored metal shells that envelop the body in a net-like pattern and were covered with several layers of ice.

Due to its design, the art car could only be displayed in a cold storage room at approximately minus ten degrees Celsius. Eliasson emphasized that his project combines art, design, and social and environmental aspects to change our thinking about cars and reinterpret them within the context of time and space.

A book with the same title as the Art Car complements this project as an integral part of the overall artwork.