New York's MoMA artwork inspires BMW
BMW, in celebration of 50 years of car production in Italy, has customised a BMW i8 based on a painting by Giacomo Balla called 'Lampada ad arco' at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Painted in 1909, the work of art shows "a street lamp powered by electricity under moonlight". BMW has used the image and states: "The revolutionary colour technique and the advent of electricity in the 1900s are strictly linked to future technology of BMW". The complexity of the car's shape means the artwork is probably a vinyl wrap, which is printed and then applied to the bodywork. The car will be driven in the Mille Miglia 2016 in Italy.



The normal BMW i8 is very much a futuristic looking car, but the new special Futurism Edition car from BMW Italia adds on that.

To celebrate 50 years of BMW's operations in Italy, BMW Italia partnered with Milan-based car customizer Garage Italia Customs to make a truly special looking i8.

BMW

The art shown on the car is called "Lampada ad Arco" or "Street light" and is the craft of Giacomo Balla. The original piece, which the art on the car depicts, is on display in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Steffen Schmidt/AP Images

In a statement released by BMW Monday, it said that the art "represents a street lamp powered by electricity under moonlight." and that "The revolutionary color technique and the advent of electricity in the 1900s are strictly linked to the future technology of the BMW i8."

Knowing the kinds of work that Garage Italia Customs specializes in, the art shown on the car was likely printed on a vinyl wrap and applied to the car's body panels. Also, it looks like it'd be incredibly difficult to paint such a complicated looking design on a car that has as many design lines and unusual angles like the i8.

The car will be driven in the Mille Miglia 2016, which starts this Thursday in Italy.

BMW

For now, just keep staring at it.

Why does art always seem cooler when it's being shown on top of a car?