January 29, 2020
At the Frieze Los Angeles art fair, BMW M will be presenting a comprehensive collaboration with iconic international contemporary artist FUTURA 2000.
Munich. In the wake of the further development of BMW Individual, BMW M GmbH will be presenting its latest collaboration, a multi-tiered project with eminent international contemporary artist FUTURA 2000. The partnership will debut at Frieze Los Angeles 2020. In this collaboration, FUTURA 2000, who is known for his mastery of colour, concentric forms, and kinetic composition, will create three exclusive and unique versions of the BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption: 10.0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 227 g/km) in his unmistakable style, whilst also designing a limited-edition series of the BMW M2 Competition which is scheduled for public purchase in June 2020. One of the hand-painted BMW M2 by Futura vehicles will celebrate its world premiere at the second Frieze Los Angeles – being held at the Paramount Pictures Studios in Hollywood from 13 to 16 February.
FUTURA 2000, born Leonard Hilton McGurr, established himself as a pioneer when graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem in the 1980s. He quickly became known for his radical approach on the street, introducing abstraction to an entirely letter based discipline, and found himself part of a wider art movement that included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Dondi White. Aside from his decades-long career as a contemporary artist, he has achieved great success as a commercial artist, collaborating with several well-known brands.
With the unique BMW M2 by Futura and the BMW M2 Edition Futura, BMW M GmbH is setting trends both in the high-performance vehicle sector and the art scene.
About Futura 2000
FUTURA 2000, born Leonard Hilton McGurr, became a pioneer when graffiti met the formal gallery ecosystem in the 1980s. Known for his radical approach in the street, he introduced abstraction to an entirely letter-based discipline. His work caught attention in the 1980s, and he found himself as part of a wider art movement that included the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Dondi White. Entirely self-taught in what he calls “the subway school”, FUTURA 2000 has been compared to Kandinsky for his mastery of colour, concentric forms, and kinetic composition—and friends Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Rammellzee for his progressiveness and of-the moment dynamism.
Radical then, his methodology can now be viewed over a span of decades as something consummately pure. When compared to many street artists who have come along since its seminal moment in the 1980s New York, FUTURA 2000’s work still stands apart for its subtlety, use of white space, and elemental quality. Insight and proficiency have kept him relevant for 40+ years with no signs of slowing down. He has also achieved great success as a commercial artist, having collaborated with several well-known brands.
