By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    Maserati enthrals at FuoriConcorso with GT2 Stradale and MCXtrema
    May 14, 2025
    Leapmotor presents its range at Automobile Barcelona, Spain
    May 14, 2025
    Alfa Romeo sporting glory dominates “Fuori Concorso”
    May 13, 2025
    Market Art Fair Stockholm and BMW Sweden present Gregor Hildebrandt as artist for BMW Art Commission 2025
    May 13, 2025
    Driving Trade Forward: AfCFTA, AGOA,BRICS and the Tariffs – All On The Menu At Automechanika CEO Breakfast
    May 9, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
    May 28, 2025
    25YM Honda NC750X
    May 13, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RS
    May 2, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RT
    April 30, 2025
    Honda NC750X Named Winner in 2025 Red Dot Design Award
    April 10, 2025
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Nissan production, sales, and exports for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Honda Production, Sales and Export Results for April, 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Škoda Auto marks 55 years since production of the Skopak began in Pakistan
    May 29, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    FIAT unveils the manifesto Grande Panda 4×4
    May 20, 2025
    Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept makes its global debut at Roland-Garros 2025
    May 16, 2025
    Hyundai Motor and Plus Unveil Concept for Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Ecosystem at ACT Expo 202
    May 2, 2025
    Hyundai Motor Unveils the new IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 6 N Line
    April 5, 2025
    Kia and LG Electronics Partner to Showcase New PBV Concepts for Work and Play
    April 4, 2025
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Kosmas “Dudie” Mamaloukos – The Formidable Racing Talent
    May 15, 2025
    Hi-Range Safari City
    Hi-Range Safari City – The Premier outfitter for 4×4 customization
    May 15, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES: ARCHIE RUTHERFORD ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE W2RC TO SOUTH AFRICA
    May 9, 2025
    Europe and China’s automotive future in a shifting global order
    May 5, 2025
    Sourcing Guide Right-Hand Drive American SUVs and Pickup Trucks in Africa
    April 29, 2025
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
    May 29, 2025
    Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
    May 29, 2025
    All-New Nissan MICRA EV debuts ahead of European launch
    May 28, 2025
    BMW Group and Solid Power are testing all-solid-state battery cells in a BMW i7
    May 20, 2025
    Toyota Debuts Stylish, Powerful 2026 C-HR Battery Electric Vehicle
    May 18, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Lærke Rønn, Alexia Danielsson, Rasmus Vendelbo, Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia, 2025, Porsche AG
    The schoolgirl who’s just won her debut GT race
    May 28, 2025
    Porsche with new qualifying record and ongoing points streak ahead of China
    May 28, 2025
    Nissan Formula E Team looking to reinforce championship lead in Shanghai
    May 28, 2025
    Opel Mokka GSE Rally: A New Star in Electric Rallying
    May 28, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    MAN development team for autonomous driving is ‘Engineering Team of the Year’
    May 29, 2025
    Scania to start deliveries of new electric buses to northern Sweden
    May 29, 2025
    From left to right: Jens Böther, Regional Council; Nikolas Wenzel, Managing Director of MOIN; Claudia Kalisch, Mayor of Lüneburg; Alex Meier, Depot Manager; Nils Richert, Daimler Buses
    Daimler Buses builds a completely new electric bus depot for a customer for the first time
    May 28, 2025
    600 km range and superfast charging – meet Volvo’s new electric truck
    May 20, 2025
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 on a long-haul route of over 1,500 kilometers
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 
    May 18, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    GR Supra pushes performance limits with A90 Final Edition and Lightweight EVO
    May 28, 2025
    The new BMW M2 CS
    May 28, 2025
    Defender upgraded: The unstoppable 4×4 is now even more distinctive 
    May 28, 2025
    From vision to Veyron: the evolution of a Bugatti icon
    May 17, 2025
    The new Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series
    May 13, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    VNC Automotive Partners with P3 to Enhance the SPARQ OS Platform
    May 29, 2025
    Artificial intelligence: Audi boosts production efficiency
    May 28, 2025
    Greater efficiency and productivity with artificial intelligence – generative AI in BMW Group Purchasing
    May 19, 2025
    Aston Martin debuts Apple CarPlay Ultra for iPhone users
    May 16, 2025
    Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now purchase and pay for e-Vignettes directly from their vehicle
    May 15, 2025
Hot News
SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
Latest News

The all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA launched

Electric Vehicles

The new Opel Vivaro Electric Sportive

Latest News

Kia America’s Russell Wager named MediaPost’s 2023 Automotive Marketer of the Year

Interviews

From road car engineering to Nissan Formula E powertrain design

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Latest News

BMW Art Car as catalyst: Mehretu and BMW launch film project in Africa

Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: April 2, 2025 12:38
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
292 Views
12 Min Read
Share
12 Min Read
SHARE
  • Workshops for artists in Lagos, Dakar, Tangier, Nairobi, and Cape Town
  • BMW Group establishes African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC) for filmmakers with BMW Art Car artist Julie Mehretu and film writer/producer Mehret Mandefro
  • Six new film productions as an anthology of contemporary film from Africa
  • Final exhibition in 2026 at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa curated by Koyo Kouoh

“I wondered how I could make the Art Car a symbol and vocal archive for the immense artistic creativity of the African continent,” says Julie Mehretu, describing her ambition for designing the 20th BMW Art Car of the iconic collection. The American abstract painter, born in Ethiopia in 1970, first presented her artistically designed BMW M Hybrid V8 to the public at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in May 2024. After its race deployment in Le Mans a month later, this year marks the next chapter of the project in cooperation with the BMW Group: the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC).

The idea for the pan-African artist network was developed by Julie Mehretu together with her longtime friend, Mehret Mandefro, an Emmy-nominated film producer—also born in Ethiopia and living in the USA—and co-founder of the Realness Institute for the training of African filmmakers. Under the guidance of a group of African and international artists, including French-Senegalese filmmaker and 2024 Berlinale winner Mati Diop, American poet Robin Coste Lewis, and Kenyan performance artist Jim Chuchu, workshops will be held in Lagos, Dakar, Tangier, Nairobi, and Cape Town for around 50 artists. AFMAC will connect with local host cultural institutions on site and workshop participants will be selected through open calls with the partners. The kickoff will take place from April 15–19 in Lagos with the cultural non-profit organization “Angels & Muse”.

- Advertisement -
Ad image

“BMW is working for the first time in the 50-year history of the BMW Art Car Collection with an artist to develop the idea far beyond the car as a pure art object. This collaboration is particularly close to my heart. It expands BMW’s long-term global commitment in the film sector with an outstanding initiative that stands for exchange, creativity, and cultural diversity—values that we, as a company, also embody,” says Ilka Horstmeier, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources, and Real Estate.

Each workshop results in a new film production. Once completed, the films will form an anthology of contemporary African filmmaking, which will complement exhibitions of Mehretu’s 20th BMW Art Car. In 2026, the anthology will debut in a major exhibition dedicated to AFMAC along with the 20th Art Car at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town. The curator will be its Executive Director Koyo Kouoh, the designated curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale. The BMW Group has been a partner of the museum for many years, contributing its extensive network of cultural professionals and charitable institutions in Africa to establish AFMAC on a long-term and sustainable basis.

International collaboration and access to African film history
Social engagement and engaging with peers in collectives have always shaped Mehretu’s work. In 2004, she founded the artist residency Denniston Hill in North New York with artist Paul Pfeiffer and architectural historian Lawrence Chua. Meant as a place for exchange, reflection, and retreat, artists of various disciplines and backgrounds further develop their practice there. Workshop methods conceived at Denniston Hill form the foundation for AFMAC’s workshops, where artists from various African countries and the global diaspora come together to engage with questions of cultural, political, and historical identity. The forms of experimentation that a translocal collective enables, how cultural and political heritage can be negotiated, and the role different media play in the attribution of identity forms are examined.

Using archival material of African film and media works, participants are given the opportunity to develop their own creative approaches and create new forms of media art. Accordingly, a key component of the workshops is the screening of hard-to-access African films to expand historical and cultural perspectives. The goal is to create sustainable infrastructures that last beyond the workshops and strengthen the artistic community in Africa. A central point of approach is the provision of an online film archive that African artists can continuously work with in the future.

Artist talks and public presentations of AFMAC will also take place outside of Africa in 2025 and 2026. An event calendar and further detailed information, including photo and film material, are available at www.afmac.institute, a digital platform documenting the project and archive for African cinema, created by New York-based creative agency Pacific.

African Film and Media Arts Collective – stations
April 15–19, 2025: Lagos, Nigeria, in partnership with Angels & Muse 
Lead artist: Coco Fusco

June 2–6, 2025: Dakar, Senegal, in partnership with Fanta Sy and Raw Material Company 
Lead artist: Mati Diop

July 2025: Tangier, Morocco, in partnership with Cinematheque de Tanger
Lead artist: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari

October 2025: Nairobi, Kenya, community partner to be determined 
Lead artists: Jim Chuchu and Wanuri Kahiu

December 2025: Cape Town, South Africa, in partnership with Realness Institute 
Lead artist: The Otolith Group

Biographies of the founders and lead artists
Julie Mehretu 
is a world-renowned American artist, born in Addis Ababa in 1970. Mehretu’s practice in painting, drawing and printmaking engage the viewer in a dynamic visual articulation of contemporary experience. Notable accolades include The MacArthur Award, The US Department of State Medal of Arts Award, and in 2025, was awarded the rank of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. Her work has been exhibited widely at museums, biennials and galleries around the globe.

Mehretu is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, The National Academy of Design and the National Academy of Sciences in Ethiopia. She sits on the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art, is a trustee and alumna of the American Academy in Berlin, a Global Council Member at Zeitz MOCAA, and is co-founder and board member of Denniston Hill. Mehretu lives and works in New York City.

Mehret Mandefro is an Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and serial entrepreneur born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her body of work explores hidden truths and spans documentary and fiction, film and television, art and science. She co-founded the multi-media production company Truth Aid Media and founded the research enterprise Truth Aid Impact, A51 Pictures in Ethiopia as well as the Realness Institute in South Africa.

She was formerly Executive Producer of Kana Television in Ethiopia and is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.

Jim Chuchu is a singer, songwriter, music producer, director, photographer, and visual artist. He helped establish the Nest Collective, a multidisciplinary art space and artists’ collective in Nairobi. His first short film “Homecoming” was featured at various film festivals from Durban to Locarno. Chuchu’s photography series “Pagans” was highlighted at Dak’Art 2014, the 11th edition of Africa’s longest running biennial of contemporary art.

Robin Coste Lewis born in 1964 in Compton, California is the author of “Voyage of the Sable Venus” (2015), the winner of National Book Award for Poetry. The former poet laureate of Los Angeles, Lewis holds a PhD in Poetry and Visual Studies from the University of Southern California, an MFA in poetry from New York University, an MTS in Sanskrit and comparative religious literature from the Divinity School at Harvard University, and a BA from Hampshire College in post-colonial literature and creative writing. Her work has appeared in various journals and anthologies, including The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Transition, and The Massachusetts Review. Lewis has taught at Hampshire College, Hunter College, Wheaton College, and the NYU Low-Residency MFA in Paris. She is currently writer in residence at the University of Southern California.

Mati Diop, is a French-Senegalese filmmaker born in Paris in 1982. With her first feature film “Atlantics“ (2019), winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival followed by “Dahomey“ (2024) awarded by The Golden Bear of Berlinale, (both short listed at the Oscars), she has established herself as one of the leading figures of international auteur cinema and a new wave in African and diasporic cinema.

Coco Fusco born in 1960 in New York City is a video and performance artist. With her multidisciplinary practice, Fusco explores the ways that intercultural dynamics affect the construction of the self and ideas about cultural otherness. Her work is in the collections of major museums worldwide and she received numerous awards.

Wanuri Kahiu is an award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and science fiction writer. Her film “Rafiki“ was the first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes, earning global recognition. Named one of TIME’s 100 Next in 2019, she is a cultural leader for the World Economic Forum and an advocate for freedom of expression.

Through AFROBUBBLEGUM, Kahiu champions fun, fierce and frivolous African art. She directed “Washington Black” for Hulu/20th Century Fox, Netflix’s “Look Both Ways”, and is set to direct Disney’s “Once on This Island”.

Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, born 1974, is an Ethiopian filmmaker and co-founder of A51 Pictures. He is notable as the director of critically acclaimed films “Difret” (Sundance and Berlinale Panorama Audience Award) and “Sweetness in the Belly”.

Apart from cinema, he was the co-founder and Head of Original Content for Kana Television, the largest free-to-air, private satellite entertainment TV channel in Ethiopia.

The Otolith Group was founded in London in 2002 by curators and artists Anjalika Sagar, born 1968, and Kodwo Eshun, born 1967 both in London. Their research-based work spans across moving image, audio, performance and installations and engages with post-human discourses building intergenerational and cross-cultural platforms.

TAGGED:AFMACAfrican Film and Media Arts CollectiveArt CarBMW Art CarBMW GroupJulie Mehretu

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

Electric Vehicles

BMW Group and Solid Power are testing all-solid-state battery cells in a BMW i7

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
May 20, 2025
Latest News

Isabel Richter Is New Head of Sustainability Communications at the BMW Group

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
September 19, 2023
Latest News

BMW Group continues to reduce EU CO2 fleet-wide emissions in 2023

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 30, 2024
Reviews

BMW iX5 Hydrogen undergoes test drives in the desert

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
September 7, 2023
Latest NewsTechnology

The BMW Group Selects AWS to Power Next-Generation Automated Driving Platform

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
September 6, 2023
Latest News

BMW Group delivers 586,149 vehicles in first quarter

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
April 10, 2025

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Made by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2023

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner