Renault Presents Twingo Art Car by Joshua Vides

Renault presents a Twingo E-Tech electric art car by Joshua Vides in Paris, blending design and contemporary art. Explore how the project was created and displayed.

Twingo E-Tech electric stopped being just a car for a few days — in front of a live audience, it turned into a graphic art object that looked like it had stepped out of a comic book. American artist Joshua Vides transformed the electric hatchback by hand over five days, applying his signature black-and-white style that blurs the line between drawing and reality.

The performance took place from April 8 to 13 at Renault’s venue on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Unlike a traditional exhibition, visitors witnessed the process rather than just the final result: the car evolved gradually under the artist’s hand, shifting from an industrial product into an immersive artwork. This format turned the project into a live experience where design and art unfolded in real time.

Renault has been developing similar creative collaborations since 2021, inviting contemporary artists to reinterpret its iconic models. This time, the focus was on the Twingo — a compact electric city car positioned as an accessible solution for everyday mobility. The latest version, with a range of around 260 km and a 27.5 kWh battery, continues the legacy of the original 1990s model that became part of popular culture.

Vides’ work fits into the broader tradition of art cars, a movement that dates back to the 1970s, when artists began using vehicles as creative canvases. In that context, Renault’s project extends an established idea: the car is not only a means of transport but also a cultural object shaped by design and artistic interpretation.

The finished art car is now on display until June 9 at Renault’s Paris space as part of the Pop Art Car exhibition. After that, it will join the brand’s art car collection, giving the project a longer life beyond the live performance and reinforcing the car’s role outside the road.