Julie Mehretu’s BMW Art Car Heads to Cape Town Exhibition in December

Published October 17, 2026

Organizer-supplied exhibition graphic, not a photograph of an installed exhibit or a vehicle. Courtesy of Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, supplied through BMW Group PressClub (image P90660897); press-use terms. No individual graphic designer is identified in the supplied credit.

Julie Mehretu’s BMW Art Car No. 20 is set to go on display at Cape Town’s Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa as part of Turning Towards the Sun. BMW’s October 15, 2026 announcement places the car in the museum’s Atrium Bowl for the exhibition’s run, from December 11, 2026 to August 15, 2027.

This is an upcoming museum appearance, not a report that the car is already installed or available to visitors today. The dates give enthusiasts a planning window, while the museum’s current visitor information should be checked before booking a trip.

More than a stand-alone car display

The museum’s own October 15 release confirms the same dates and says the wider exhibition will occupy Level 4. It brings together six artists and filmmakers: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, Mati Diop, Jim Chuchu, Wanuri Kahiu, Robin Coste Lewis and The Otolith Group.

The program grew from Mehretu’s Art Car commission through the African Film and Media Arts Collective, developed with filmmaker Mehret Mandefro and the late curator Koyo Kouoh. Five workshops took place in Lagos, Tangier, Nairobi, Dakar and Cape Town.

The organizers describe an exhibition centered on moving-image work, Pan-African connections and collective learning. Its automotive link is the Art Car’s role in initiating that wider project, rather than a new road-car model, performance upgrade or racing entry.

What to check before visiting

The distinction between locations matters: the car is planned for the Atrium Bowl, while the main exhibition is on Level 4. Neither announcement should be treated as a promise of special vehicle access, a driving demonstration or a separate ticketed automotive event.

For a different kind of car-culture appearance, see Maserati’s MC12 and bespoke GT2 Stradale at Villa La Massa. Both stories put cars in a cultural setting, but their dates, venues and visitor arrangements are separate.