BMW and A.A.Murakami debut immersive installation SYMBIOSIS at Art Basel 2026
BMW partners with London and Tokyo-based artist duo A.A.Murakami to present SYMBIOSIS, an immersive art installation inspired by the company's Symbiotic Drive technology, at Art Basel in Basel from June 15-21, 2026.
- 15-21 June 2026
- over two decades
What Happened
For over two decades, BMW has been a global partner of Art Basel. This year, BMW and the artist duo A.A.Murakami present SYMBIOSIS, an immersive installation exploring symbiosis through a dynamic interplay between engineered structures and ephemeral phenomena. The installation will be exhibited from June 15-21, 2026 at Art Basel in Basel.
BMW Symbiotic Drive, part of the Neue Klasse era, brings driver and vehicle together as a coordinated system where human intention and intelligent assistance seamlessly interact. The driver's impulses are anticipated and supported by AI-enabled systems, creating a smoother, more confident driving experience.
“We are interested in the idea that existence itself can become a material. We describe our practice as Ephemeral Tech; using advanced engineering not to create virtual simulations, but to work directly with physical reality itself. Once a bubble is released into the air, its final form no longer belongs to the machine, it belongs to gravity, airflow, temperature, entropy and chance. That surrender”
The installation evolves around the new BMW M760e xDrive, which distills every element to its essential form. BMW is also collaborating with culinary studio WE ARE ONA for this year's edition. The 2026 Art Basel edition brings together 290 galleries from 43 countries.
Why this matters
The installation illustrates BMW's Neue Klasse driving assistance philosophy through an ephemeral art piece, highlighting the brand's long-standing partnership with Art Basel.
Terms in This Story
- Symbiotic Drive
- BMW's driving assistance system that creates a coordinated interaction between driver and vehicle.
- Neue Klasse
- BMW's upcoming vehicle architecture and design language.
- Art Basel
- A global art fair for modern and contemporary art.
- Immersive installation
- A multi-sensory art experience that surrounds the viewer.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.