- German painter and sculptor Thomas Scheibitz borrowed his friend’s BMW i8 to give it a makeover
- The car was originally in ‘boring old blue’ but is now in glorious technicolour
- Scheibitz said the project was an art study in form and colour
- BMW was not aware one of its next-generation hybrid supercars would be re-painted
An artist in Germany borrowed the keys to his friend’s new BMW to give it a spectacular new paint job.
The eccentrically redesigned i8 motor was done by an internationally-renowned painter and sculptor Thomas Scheibitz. He unveiled the new car at his a studio in Berlin.
The work – which has been dubbed an automobile sculpture and artistic experiment in form and colour, was done without the knowledge of BMW. The vehicle is owned by Scheibitz friend Bernd Heusinger, the CEO of Hirschen Group.
Biennale-Künstler #ThomasScheibitz und @HirschenGroup-Gründer @berndheusinger geben der Elektromobilität ein neues Gesicht pic.twitter.com/wduuuhK1fB
— Hirschen Group (@HirschenGroup) 21 May 2019
According to Sheibitz, “industrial design represents a major antagonist and a source of inspiration alike”.
Despite being unaware of the project, BMW was quick to jump on the media bandwagon. In a statement praising the artist’s work, it said that “he understands sports cars as design sculptures, as dynamic results of a synthesis of technology and creativity”.
To re-paint the car, Scheibitz covered the vehicles carbon-fibre exterior and its futuristic lines with vibrant colours – all of which are enlarged fragments of paintings he did previously (so in many ways, the car became the canvas).
Neither Scheibitz nor Heusinger has said if the car will keep its new paint job, or whether or not it will be returned to its original blue hue.
