Heemin Chung and Alvaro Barrington Reveal Mini BMW Art Cars
Each artist created seven scale models, which were exhibited at Frieze Seoul during the Asia debut of Julie Mehretu's BMW Art Car.
Limited BMW i7 miniature edition by Heemin Chung, presented at Frieze Seoul 2024. Courtesy of the artist.
Korean artist Heemin Chung and London-based American artist Alvaro Barrington today revealed their designs for BMW i7 miniatures.
Barrington's cars take inspiration from the video game franchise Grand Theft Auto, which lends some of the cars sunset colour schemes, and TV show Star Trek, which he said was symbolic of connection.
Barringon, who grew up in New York City and doesn't have a driver's licence, said, 'I love cars, and I thought of moments when car culture changed America.'
'I was thinking about the '60s, when we were excited about the future. In Star Trek, different aliens are all able to communicate and fall in love.'
One of his cars depicts the first interracial kiss, which took place in a 1968 episode of Star Trek.
He said today's cars were more than just transportation—they could also be translators, video game consoles, or cinemas.
Heemin Chung said making art from a miniature car was a creative challenge, but she took inspiration from its sleek form. She used wire and modelling clay to make night-black cars with lithe organic protrusions inspired by insects and birds. The result is reminiscent of the oozing black tendrils of comic book hero Venom.
Barrington's cars are available for purchase for €7,500 and Chung's for €6,500. Proceeds will go to charities chosen by the artists.
Chung and Barrington were selected for the project by Serpentine Gallery's Hans Ulrich Obrist, who was part of the jury of museum directors and curators who selected Julie Mehretu to work on BMW Art Car #20.
Obrist, who was dressed in a pinstripe over-shirt instead of a suit jacket to beat the heat, said, 'Julie Mehretu works in so many stratifications with her painting, from 2D to 3D to 4D. What if an object were covered with her painting and then began to move?'
He said the departure point for the collaboration with Mehretu was the history of BMW Art Cars.
Obrist noted that South African artist Esther Mahlangu was the first woman to design a BMW Art Car back in 1991. Mehretu is also from Africa, having been born in Ethiopia.
Mehretu's car debuted at Centre Pompidou in Paris in May. It competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, where it skidded out and was unable to finish.
It will continue to tour the world, serving as the occasion for a series of workshops around Africa culminating in an exhibition at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. —[O]
