BMW launches BMW Contemporary to unite and showcase Middle East artists and collectors

The BMW Group is expanding its support of contemporary Art and
Culture in the Middle East with the launch of BMW Contemporary, an
exclusive initiative that aims to strengthen intercultural dialogues
and spark curiosity and imagination. 

BMW Contemporary will unite artists and collectors from across the
region to meet, discuss and share their bespoke collections with the
public and bring to life their unique stories in a series of online
episodes that will be featured across BMW Group Middle East’s social
media channels throughout the year. The first episode, entitled
The Art of 7”, will see renowned Art Consultant
and Curator Ali Khadra introduce Youssef Nabil, an internationally
acclaimed Egyptian artist, and Sheikha Paula Mubarak Al Sabah, a
high-profile art lover and collector residing in Kuwait. As the first
host of the series, Sheikha Paula has allowed exclusive access to her
stunning Kuwait Estate in which audiences will not only learn about
her extensive collection but will immerse themselves into Youssef’s
world of Egyptian Glamour, departure and loss. 

Commenting on the initiative, Christina Heidlberger, BMW Brand
Management, Marketing Services and Event Manager for BMW Group Middle
East, said: “The BMW Group has been involved in supporting various
arts and cultural platforms for more the 40 years, with hundreds of
initiatives taking place worldwide. Here in the Middle East, we are
committed to fostering this association and actively seek
opportunities to nurture and support regional talent. We believe that
BMW Contemporary does just that. It is a great showcase of how
creativity knows no boundaries, and we hope that each of the episodes’
artists spark interest and inspire people across the region.” 

Cultural commitment is an integral part of the BMW Group’s corporate
culture. The company believes that unrestricted freedom is of the
utmost importance, as much so for the art world as it is for
ground-breaking innovations within business. “As a car company, we see
many synergies with the Art Culture world. We both strive for
innovation, and creativity in many respects be it design or how we
engage with our audiences,” continued Heidlberger. 

The BMW Group focuses its cultural cooperations on jazz and classical
music, modern and contemporary art, architecture and design.

 

For more information please contact: 

Leanne Blanckenberg, Corporate Communications Manager, BMW Group
Middle East

Telephone: +971 4 313 2615 or email: Leanne.blanckenberg@bmw.com                                                                                                

 

Katie Johnston, Edelman DABO

Tel: +971 52 878 5281 or email: katie.johnston@edelmandabo.com

 

About BMW’s Cultural Commitment

For more than 40 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged
in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the
main focus of its long-term commitment on modern and contemporary art,
jazz and classical music as well as architecture and design. In 1972,
three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter
specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group’s Munich headquarters.
Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Olafur
Eliasson, Jeff Koons, Zubin Metha, Daniel Barenboim and Anna Netrebko
have co-operated with BMW. The company has also commissioned famous
architects such as Karl Schwanzer, Zaha Hadid and Coop Himmelb(l)au to
design important corporate buildings and plants. In 2011, the BMW
Guggenheim Lab, a global initiative of the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum and the BMW Group celebrated its
world premiere in New York. The BMW Group takes absolute creative
freedom in all its cultural activities – as this initiative is as
essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for
major innovations in a successful business. 

Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture
and
www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview