Art Basel and BMW Global Partnership

Starting in 2015, Art Basel and BMW will support emerging artists by awarding the BMW Art Journey, enabling them to go on their own journey of creative discovery. Functioning as a mobile studio, the BMW Art Journey can take artists almost anywhere in the world –to develop new ideas, discover new themes, and envision new creative projects.

The BMW Art Journey is open to artists who are showing in Positions and Discoveries, Art Basel’s sectors for emerging artists in Miami Beach and Hong Kong. Two international expert juries, one for Positions and one for Discoveries, will determine a shortlist of three artists per sector and invite them to submit proposals for a journey to a destination of their choice. One artist from each shortlist will then be selected, in a second round of judging, to receive the BMW Art Journey. The artist chosen from the Discoveries sector of Art Basel’s
show in Hong Kong, taking place in March 2015, will be announced in the summer of 2015 while the selected artist from the Positions sector of Art Basel in Miami Beach, in December 2015, will be announced in early 2016. In collaboration with the artists, the journeys will be documented and shared with the public through publications, online and through social media.

Members of the Hong Kong jury include:
Richard Armstrong (Director Guggenheim Museum, New York)
Claire Hsu (Director Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong)
Matthias Mühling (Director Lenbachhaus, Munich)

Members of the Miami Beach jury include:
Juan Gaítan (Curator based in Mexico City)
Massimiliano Gioni (Artistic Director New Museum, New York City)
Gabriele Horn (Director KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin)
Victoria Northoorn (Director Museo de Arte Moderna, Buenos Aires)

‘For over forty years now, BMW has been involved in the arts with hundreds of long-term initiatives worldwide,’ said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America.

‘Now we are extending these efforts to contribute more directly to contemporary art practice. The BMW Art Journey is a great example of how we can do something meaningful for the benefit of today’s artists. We are confident that this initiative will allow the chosen artists to broaden their horizons and push their work into new creative territory. At the same time, we see this as another important step in our long-term partnership with Art Basel.’

‘We are delighted to be collaborating with our long-standing partner BMW on this intriguing project,’ said Art Basel Director Marc Spiegler. ‘The BMW Art Journey will allow emerging artists from the Positions and Discoveries sectors of our shows to go on journeys that will feed into their future practice – so I look forward to seeing where the artists go, and with what they return.’