BMW x Alvaro Barrington
In celebration of 50 years of the iconic BMW Art Car program, BMW has partnered with visionary artist Alvaro Barrington to transform the BMW iX5 Hydrogen fleet into a rolling canvas during Art Basel in Basel 2025. Invited by curator Hans Ulrich Obrist—a former juror of the Art Car program—Barrington brings his bold, collage-inspired visual language to BMW’s hydrogen-powered vehicles, merging contemporary art with a future-forward vision of mobility.
This marks the second consecutive year that BMW’s iX5 Hydrogen fleet has been part of the Art Basel VIP transport lineup. But in 2025, these vehicles do more than ferry collectors and curators—they carry meaning. Wrapped in a design that reflects Barrington’s multimedia practice, the cars become kinetic sculptures, weaving through the city with color, texture, and the artist’s deeply personal approach to storytelling.
Known for his work across painting, textiles, and installation, Barrington often explores how materials speak to cultural memory, political identity, and personal narrative. His intervention on the iX5 Hydrogen is no exception—rather than seeing the vehicle as a static object, he embraces its motion, using the hydrogen-powered drivetrain as a metaphor for clean energy and human progress.
Artist Alvaro Barrington and Michael Rath, Head of Hydrogen Vehicles, BMW Group,
There’s a certain joy in the collaboration—an energy that mirrors Barrington’s own belief in art as a shared experience. Here, the vehicle becomes a medium for public art, connecting people through innovation, sustainability, and design. It’s a celebration of technology’s human potential, rendered through Barrington’s rich, expressive aesthetic.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen stands at the center of this artistic statement. Combining electric drive with hydrogen fuel cell technology, it represents BMW’s vision for responsible performance and future luxury. Alongside the all-electric BMW i7, which also serves the VIP fleet, the collaboration reinforces BMW’s role as both a cultural partner and a mobility innovator.
As Art Basel draws the world’s creative and collector communities to Switzerland, Barrington’s BMWs remind us that the most compelling art isn’t always found inside the fair—it’s moving through the city, inviting us to imagine new futures.
