BMW Makes Private Art Collections Public in Exclusive New Films

BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors launch the first in a series of filmed components of the guide. Conceived and produced by Cult and directed by Robin Fraser, the films feature renowned curator and editor Francesca Gavin and social media influencers, including Pari Eshan (AKA Pari Dust) and Andrea Denver. The films document Francesca with each of the influencers as they gain access to privately owned art collections by Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, in Italy and Sherry and Joel Mallin in the US.

The films are an extension of the BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors. Established in 2012, the guide created by the brand to make privately owned contemporary art collections accessible to the general public. This resulted in a pocket-sized publication introducing collections from around the globe, presented in interesting and diverse settings. The guide is the first of its kind and features texts by distinguished authors, famous and unknown artists and a wealth of information on art. Until now, the guide was solely a printed publication.  

In the first film of the series, we see Pari and Francesca drive through Turin, Italy whilst discussing their shared interests in art, to visit the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation. Here, the pair gain access to an art show hosted by influential Italian collector Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo. Pari and Francesca engross themselves in the collections, sharing knowledge, observations and insights. The show includes works collected by curators including Mark Rappolt and Liam Gillick, all themed on responses to films directed in the late 1970’s. The film shows Pari and Francesca exchange perspectives on artwork by Barbra Kruger and Hans-Peter Feldmann as they study the pieces.  

In the second instalment, Francesca is joined by Italian model and social influencer Andrea Denver. The pair dash around Upstate New York in a BMW i8 to explore the grounds of the Mallin Collection & Buckhorn Sculpture Park. Located in the picturesque town of Pound Ridge, New York, Sherry and Joel Mallin have dedicated their lives to building their very own magical sculpture garden. The extraordinary haven for contemporary art features over seventy outdoor sculptures, gardens, woodlands, a lake and an orchard including artists such as Sol LeWitt, Joel Shapiro, Anish Kapoor and Dan Graham. In addition to the collection in the Mallins’ private residence and the Buckhorn Sculpture Park, the episode also explores the Art Barn, a 930-square-meter facility built by the couple in 2001 that highlights a rotation of artworks. 

As well as creating the film concept and shooting the series for BMW, branded entertainment agency and creative production studio, Cult, casted both architecture, fashion and art blogger, Pari Eshan, model and social influencer Andrea Denver and curator and writer, Francesca Gavin, to host the series. 

Constantin Bjerke, Founder and Executive Producer at Cult comments: “From the uniqueness of the collections to the collectors themselves, these are fascinating stories which we feel we are in the best position to tell – as we are an agency specialising in bringing a fresh editorial perspective to working with brands. Making private art collections more accessible to the public is precisely the sort of work where we can offer our expertise, given our network in the contemporary art realm and our experience in finding common ground between a brand and its audience." 

The films are available to view on the BMW Art Guide by Independent Collectors platform, https://bmw-art-guide.com  and BMW i’s social channels. More films in the series are planned to launch across the Autumn of 2018.