Augmented Reality App Lets You Conjure BMW Art Cars Anywhere
Ru Chen
· 3 min read
BMW
’s Art Car program has existed since 1975. The cars serve as canvases for invited artists. Their purposes range from an expression of style and beauty to raising awareness for social causes. Now, a special
Augmented Reality
(AR) app lets you bring a digitized art car with you anywhere you go. 
How the app lets you have a pocket museum of cars
Car and Driver
recommended people try out this cool new app, Acute Art. The app allows users to set a realistic, gorgeously designed BMW car anywhere they want. It’s perfect for adding a splash of color and uniqueness to your photos.
On a beach, in your own living room, these cars can be put anywhere! They can even be rotated and scaled to fit the space you’re taking a photo in.
BMW’s global head of cultural engagement, Thomas Girst, tested the app himself while vacationing in France. The photos created with the app? They look good.
Girst said he had tons of fun placing cars designed by famous artists anywhere he wanted. He picked tourist spots such as under the Eiffel Tower, on a Marseille beach, and in front of the Palais Idéal palace.
Acute Art opens a door to a new sort of car technology! It blends art with entertainment.
MORE: Artificial Intelligence Is Poised to Play a Key Role in Preventing a Costly Car Insurance Crime
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A long and prestigious history
The BMW Art Car program began in 1975 with famous sculptor Alexander Calder creating the first Art Car. Since then, BMW has collaborated with many pop culture artists to design eye-catching models of Art Cars.
Leading artists in the following decades were invited to participate. Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, and Jeff Koons have all designed expressive and unique BMW Art Cars.
Looking at each iconic design is like looking at a piece of history: both art and automobile history.
In the beginning, cars were used in races, but they have since then become more meaningful as Art Car exhibits. Girst said that the program focuses on raising awareness of alternative and renewable energy sources.
Cao Fei, the 18th BMW Art Car artist, was invited to pave the way for AR Art Car creators.
Future of AR car art
As of now, Acute Art does not allow for car customizations out of respect for the artists’ copyright.
However, there are endless possibilities in how BMW wants to continue with this experimental app. The possibility of them adding more fun new features is very high. Perhaps users will get to design their own Art Car in AR?
As Girst said, this is only the 1.0 version.
Social media is a great way for raising awareness of environmental issues and promoting car brands. It seems only natural that car brands will want to step into the limelight of social media in new and exciting ways.
