BMW Art Car Collection on show in the UK.

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in association with BMW, the Mayor of London and the London 2012 Festival, will take up a landmark car park in Shoreditch for two weeks starting from July 21st to August 4th for a unique exhibition of the BMW Art Car Collection for the very first time in the UK. The exhibition is part of the London 2012 Festival,, which is a 12-week nationwide celebration running, that will run up to 9 September 2012, bringing together best of the artists from across the globe with the leading ones from the UK.

The collection, initiated over 35 years ago, features BMW cars transformed by some of the world’s leading artists including: Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Ernst Fuchs, Robert Rauschenberg, M.J Nelson, Ken Done, Matazo Kayama, Cesar Manrique, Jeff Koons, A.R Penck, Esher Mahlangu, Sandro Chia, Jenny Holzer and David Hockney.
ART DRIVE! THE BMW ART CAR COLLECTION will showcase cars by 16 international artists over six floors in the NCP Car Park on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch.

The BMW Art Car Collection was started when French racing driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain invited his friend Alexander Calder to design a car that meets with the artistic excellence to 'an already perfect object'. What came out, was a racing car that competed in the Le Mans 24-hour race long back in 1975, and this is how BMW Art car came into existence. Since then some of the greatest names in contemporary art have added to the collection creating a wide range of artistic interpretations.

David Hockney’s 1995 Art Car paints the inside of the car on the outside, revealing everything from internal engine parts to a dog in the back. The famous American painter and graphic artist Robert Rauschenberg did the photographic transfers of Ingres paintings while Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein used the canvas of the car to portray the essence of speed. Well-known for its support for innovation and new talent across the contemporary arts, the ICA has sought out some exciting emerging names in design from the East End to help deliver this project, including Julia, Loop.pH and My Beautiful City. The ICA is delighted to be working with LOCOG, BMW and the Mayor of London’s office on this prestigious project. Art Drive! presents an exciting opportunity to reach new and larger audiences.