The recent Art Basel Hong Kong fair marked the seventh anniversary of the fruitful partnership between the mega art event and renowned German automaker BMW. We spoke to the marque’s new managing director Martijn Oremus about this successful relationship, its Art Basel highlights and what Hong Kong’s auto enthusiasts can expect from the luxury carmaker in 2019.

           

Tell us about the partnership between BMW and Art Basel, and what makes it such a successful one?

The partnership between BMW and Art Basel spans seven fruitful years, but actually, the engagement of BMW in cultural partnerships goes back even further, encompassing five decades. In essence, it’s creativity that ties everything together. Creativity is key, not only to art, but to innovation, design and technology. To that end, it a fundamental part of our business.

With Art Basel being one of the leading platforms for creativity, it brings together all the relevant people from an expansive array of industries in the name of art. We are very happy to be partnered with Art Basel, not just in Hong Kong but worldwide.

What can we expect from BMW at Art Basel Hong Kong 2019?

We have a range of activities going on, and one I’m particularly proud of is the BMW Art Journey. Each year, we bring young emerging artistic talents and give them an opportunity to travel the world as part of this unique art competition. It’s not just a prize but an opportunity for them to develop as artists. At Art Basel Hong Kong, we’ve announced the shortlist of potential awardees for the next Art Journey. The winner will be chosen in the coming months. This year, we have three female finalists, which is quite special.

Tell us a little bit about BMW’s all-new Art Car. What were the inspirations behind its design?

Over the years, we have brought a total of nine BMW Art Cars to Hong Kong, but this year it’s even more exciting because we have the original Art Car No.1 from 1975. It’s a particularly special occasion because this was the car that laid the foundation stone for the entire Art Car collection. It was French racer Hervé Poulain who commissioned his friend, the renowned American artist Alexander Calder, to transform on his actual BMW racecar. It is that precise car that is on display at Art Basel Hong Kong, and is the pioneer for a line that now boasts 19 unique models. The Art Car really highlights to blending of creativity and artistic flair with our cars, which evokes emotional responses in people’s hearts and emotions, much like the world of art.

What’s can we expect from BMW in 2019? Which new models will be making their debuts?

First and foremost, we will have a range of new models launching in the market. First of all, the new generation of the 3-series. The 3 series for us represents the core of sheer driving pleasure. It’s the most dynamic and sporty car that we have, and will be coming to Hong Kong very soon. On top of that, this year we’ll be focussing on the luxury segment. For example, we will bring a revamped version of the 7-series, but also two all-new concept cars – the BMW 8-series and the X7, which will be the first full-size SAV in this luxury segment to be introduced to the market.

Thank you.

Interview and photography by: Tenzing Thondup
Video: Kingsley Lau