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UNE ICONE CULTURELLE FAIT SA PREMIERE EN ASIE : LA BMW ART CAR DE RAUSCHENBERG A ART BASEL HONG KONG
Munich/Hong Kong. As long-term partner of Art Basel for more than two decades, BMW presents Robert Rauschenberg’s BMW 635CSi Art Car of 1986, celebrating the centennial of the artist’s birth. On the occasion, and as part of the BMW Art Car World Tour, Rauschenberg’s iconic car will be presented for the first time ever in Asia.
Courtney J. Martin, Executive Director of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, commented, “We are thrilled that Rauschenberg’s Art Car (1986) will make its debut in Asia at Art Basel Hong Kong 2026, concurrent with the exhibition Robert Rauschenberg and Asia at M+. As we celebrate what would have been Rauschenberg’s 100th birthday, the Art Car provides yet another reminder of his unconventional artistic practice. The artist referred to the work as a ‘drivable museum,’ and like so much of his oeuvre, it blurs the boundaries between art and life, painting and sculpture, art and technology. »
This milestone not only highlights the artist’s international legacy but also underscores BMW’s long-standing commitment to cultural engagement with hundreds of initiatives worldwide. Rauschenberg’s visionary “rolling sculpture”, which fuses art history, photography, and everyday culture, exemplifies the pioneering spirit at the intersection of art, technology, motorsport, and design that has defined the BMW Art Car Collection for five decades. BMW also continues its longstanding support for the fair’s VIP car service.
“I think mobile museums would be a good idea. This car is the fulfilment of my dream.” – Robert Rauschenberg, 1986.
In a panel discussion entitled “Robert Rauschenberg and the Velocity of Art”, set to take place on Friday, 27 March at 1:45pm, the BMW Art Talk brings together leading international experts to discuss the continued impact of Rauschenberg’s innovative approach on culture, technology, and cross‑sector collaboration. Russell Storer, Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs at M+ and curator of the exhibition “Rauschenberg and Asia” (until 26 April 2026), Dr Courtney J. Martin, Executive Director of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, and Prof Dr Thomas Girst, Global Head of Cultural Engagement at the BMW Group, will delve into the artist’s legacy from curatorial, institutional, and corporate perspectives.
BMW Lounge at Art Basel Hong Kong 2026.
To mark Art Basel Hong Kong 2026, BMW will present a dedicated lounge open to visitors throughout the fair’s official opening hours. The lounge will serve as the central stage for the presentation of the BMW Art Car by Robert Rauschenberg, showcased alongside a curated Rauschenberg display centred around a replica of Automobile Tire Print — the artist’s large-scale 1953 work exploring movement, process, and visual trace.
This reproduction inspired by Automobile Tire Print honors the artist’s enduring influence on contemporary culture and the conceptual foundations that resonate powerfully within the Art Car itself.
An opening reception will welcome invited guests, featuring opening remarks by Courtney J. Martin, Executive Director, and Sharon Kim, Chief Collection Officer of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
About Art Basel.
Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris, and Qatar. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded through new digital platforms including Zero 10 and the Art Basel App, and initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report and Survey of Global Collecting, Art Basel Awards, and Art Basel Shop. For further information, please visit artbasel.com.
BMW has been a global partner of Art Basel for over two decades, supporting visionary artistic voices across its shows. In February 2026, to mark the inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar (3–7 February 2026), BMW presented David Hockney’s BMW Art Car (1995) in Doha.
BMW Art Car World Tour.
The BMW Art Car Collection, born from the vision of French racing driver and art dealer Hervé Poulain and BMW Head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch, has become a cornerstone of BMW’s cultural engagement. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of BMW Art Cars, the BMW Art Car World Tour showcases an ambitious global exhibition programme across five continents. The tour highlights BMW’s long-standing commitment to cultural engagement, uniting art, technology, motorsport, and design in a uniquely mobile museum of “rolling sculptures”. Art Basel Hong Kong is one of the key international stops on the tour, which runs throughout 2025 and 2026. The schedule continues to evolve and will extend through most of 2026.
BMW Art Car #6 by Robert Rauschenberg, BMW 635CSi, 1986.
Robert Rauschenberg transformed this sports car into a collage of art history, photography, and everyday culture. Rauschenberg was the first to use other artists’ works on his car, silkscreening photographic images of artworks from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York onto the vehicle:
Left-hand side: Angelo Bronzino, Portrait of a Young Man, ca. 1530
Right-hand side: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Odalisque in Grisaille, ca. 1824–34
Hubcaps: Photographs of antique plates
These elements are combined with images sourced from Rauschenberg’s own photographs of trees and swamp grasses, offering a subtle commentary on the environmental challenges associated with the motor car, as well as referencing his home on Captiva, an island off the coast of western Florida, where the car was created.
About the artist.
Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008) was a key figure paving the way for American Pop art. Born in Port Arthur, Texas, he studied in Kansas City, Paris, and at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. He earned international acclaim after winning the International Grand Prize for Painting at the 1964 Venice Biennale for his Combines — artworks that merged aspects of painting and sculpture — and his Silkscreen Paintings. A lifelong commitment to collaboration and experimentation led him to make innovative works in a wide range of media — from performance, photography and printmaking to experiments in art and technology. His radical visual language continues to influence artists today.
Rauschenberg Foundation.
The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation builds on the legacy of artist Robert Rauschenberg, emphasizing his belief that artists can drive social change. Rauschenberg sought to act in the “gap” between art and life, valuing chance and collaboration across disciplines. As such, the Foundation celebrates new and even untested ways of thinking.
The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.
