BMW is taking its flagship saloon to the art world this week, placing the new 7 Series at the centre of “SYMBIOSIS”, an installation by the Tokyo- and London-based duo A.A.Murakami. The work opens at Tersane Istanbul during the 21st edition of Contemporary Istanbul, with a VIP preview on 23 September and public days from 24 to 27 September. BMW says the piece translates its Neue Klasse thinking on human-machine interaction into an artistic form.

Fresh from an appearance at Art Basel, the installation “SYMBIOSIS” has moved to Türkiye, where BMW is represented by importer Borusan Otomotiv. It is built around the new BMW 7 Series, and it forms part of a long-running cultural programme the German manufacturer has maintained for more than five decades.

The artist duo behind it — Azusa Murakami (JP) and Alexander Groves (UK), who work as A.A.Murakami — are known for what they call “Ephemeral Tech”: art that leaves behind screens, LED arrays and projections in favour of fog, plasma and bubbles. Their work sits in the permanent collections of MoMA in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and M+ in Hong Kong.

What the installation actually does

The title borrows the biological term for two different organisms living together. In practice, engineered sculptural forms are combined with transient elements — light, mist and bubbles — that are shaped by airflow, temperature, gravity and chance. The result, according to the artists, never settles into a fixed state, which is the point: technology tied directly to physical reality rather than simulated on a display.

The new 7 Series stands at the core of the piece, with its exterior design, cabin, driving dynamics and craftsmanship treated as components of the artwork rather than a car parked next to one.

The link to “Symbiotic Drive”

BMW is using the installation to illustrate a concept it calls BMW Symbiotic Drive. The company describes driver and vehicle not as two separate parties but as a single coordinated system, in which AI-supported assistance systems anticipate and support inputs such as acceleration, braking and steering so that the handover between human and machine feels seamless. That framing is central to the Neue Klasse vision BMW is rolling out across its range.

“We are delighted to bring the SYMBIOSIS installation – uniting BMW’s technology, design, and innovation with art – to art lovers at Contemporary Istanbul,” said Hakan Tiftik, CEO of Borusan Otomotiv. “The convergence of BMW Symbiotic Drive, which redefines the relationship between car and driver through the Neue Klasse vision, and A.A.Murakami’s artistic perspective combining tech with physical and natural processes highlights BMW’s future-oriented vision in a distinct experiential space.”

The car in the middle of it

The current 7 Series received a comprehensive update midway through its seventh generation, and BMW positions it as the first of its existing models to adopt Neue Klasse technology. The manufacturer points to the monolithic body, the illuminated Iconic Glow kidney grille and slim crystal headlights outside, and to BMW Panoramic iDrive, the BMW Passenger Display and the revised BMW Theatre Screen inside.

In the consumption data accompanying the release, BMW quotes the electric i7 60 xDrive at a combined 18.1 kWh/100 km and 0 g/km of CO2 on the WLTP cycle, with a WLTP range of 608 km (378 miles) and a CO2 class of B. No other technical figures or prices were given for the cars on show.

Why a car maker is at an art fair

Cultural sponsorship is well-trodden ground for BMW, which backs Gallery Weekend Berlin, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and Art Basel alongside its own BMW Art Car Collection. Borusan Otomotiv has partnered with Contemporary Istanbul over several years and has also signed on as a sponsor of the Pavilion of Türkiye at the 61st Venice Biennale. For rivals in the luxury segment, the calculation is much the same: the flagship saloon has become as much a showcase for brand positioning as a volume product.

Facts: BMW i7 60 xDrive (figures stated in the release)

  • Combined power consumption: 18.1 kWh/100 km (WLTP)
  • Combined CO2 emissions: 0 g/km (WLTP)
  • CO2 class: B
  • Electric range: 608 km (378 miles, WLTP)

SYMBIOSIS is open to the public at Tersane Istanbul from 24 to 27 September, following the VIP preview on 23 September.

Source: www.press.bmwgroup.com