One year ago, Romanian artist Adrian Mitu created “Blue Coffee”, a 30-day live painting marathon exploring the history of the BMW brand. He used a special watercolor technique involving coffee, the project bringing to life 101 unique works of art. Roughly one year after his work was done, he now prepares for a second exhibition with the Romanian branch of the BMW Group which will be created in another session of live paintings, this time revolving around the legendary Jochen Neerpasch.
„First, we had to define the main topics and then the individual themes. Selecting legends, stories and heroes is always a very emotional, personal process. Every day, Adrian received a list of stories, each represented by a selection of images. He had the full liberty to choose the ones that were the most appealing to him. Therefore, the end-result is an eclectic, individual expression of our dynamic history. I believe that this is what makes this exhibition so special”, said Alex Şeremet, corporate communication manager of BMW Group Romania.
The end result brought to life a unique perspective on iconic BMW Motorsport moment spread throughout the brand’s 100-year history. Apart from defining aspects of the company’s racing product range, such as the BMW 328 Touring Coupé or the BMW 507, it also highlights outstanding moments in the company’s racing history, one example being the finish of Dieter Quester in 3rd place with the car on its roof in the DTM Avus race in 1990.
Other paintings showcase legendary personalities who played an important part in developing the brand as a whole, turning it into the giant we love today. These include Jochen Neerpasch, founder of BMW Motorsport GmbH, or Paul Rosche and Alexander von Falkenhausen, the main visionaries behind the relevant BMW engines, in the spotlight. “Blue Coffee” also presents special victories, such as the first Nürburgring 24h race won in 1970 by Hans-Joachim Stuck and Clemens Schickentanz with a BMW 2002 Ti.
“For me, coffee is a symbol of energy that fits perfectly to the BMW Motorsport theme”, explains the artist. “It is a technique that defines me – not only in the final outcome, but also in my painting style. The warm coffee shades are in contrast with the cold watercolors and offer an excellent way to emphasize parts of the painting, to direct the attention of the viewer. The exhibition’s name is inspired by my technique and the most defining BMW color – blue.”
The series of paintings is currently on display in the permanent exhibition of the BMW Car Club of America in Spartanburg next to the BMW plant in the United States. The success of the 101 paintings will now be the basis of another project in partnership with BMW Group Romania – an art installation dedicated to Jochen Neerpasch, the first BMW Motorsport director and the initiator of many projects in the ’70s that have defined the BMW brand image – including the first BMW Art Cars. The project will start at the end of 2017 with new sessions of live paintings and will run until early next year. We’ll keep you updated as it evolves, with photos and reports from the location.
