BMW Group India and India Art Fair Celebrate a Decade of Partnership

BMW Group India returns as presenting partner of India Art Fair 2026, marking ten years of collaboration and unveiling the “Future is Born of Art” commission.

BMW Group India returns as the presenting partner of India Art Fair in 2026, marking ten years of collaboration with South Asia’s leading contemporary art platform. The 17th edition of the fair will take place from 5 to 8 February at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi and is set to be the most expansive in its history, bringing together a record number of exhibitors from commercial galleries, institutions, and new participants.

The anniversary partnership coincides with the continuation of BMW’s flagship cultural initiative, “The Future is Born of Art”, which also marks its fifth year. For 2026, the commission has been awarded to artist Afrah Shafiq. Her work, “A Giant Sampler”, will be unveiled as a large-scale façade installation for the first time, spanning the exterior of the fair. Drawing on the visual language of traditional textile samplers, the project merges handcraft, digital systems, and augmented reality, inviting audiences to engage with layered narratives embedded within the work.

The choice of a public-facing installation highlights a growing emphasis on openness and accessibility, allowing contemporary art to move beyond enclosed exhibition spaces and into direct dialogue with its surroundings. Through the commission, BMW and India Art Fair continue to support artists working at the intersection of technology, craft, and cultural memory, positioning Shafiq’s installation as a natural extension of this ongoing curatorial direction.

BMW’s presence at India Art Fair 2026 is further underscored by the display of the BMW Concept Speedtop at the BMW Collectors Lounge. The concept embodies the brand’s approach to combining design, engineering, and artisanal expertise, from its sculptural silhouette and central design line to an interior crafted with the involvement of BMW’s Dingolfing manufactory and Italian leather specialist Schedoni. Produced in a strictly limited series, the Concept Speedtop occupies a space between automotive innovation and collectible design.

Together, the artistic commission and the concept car presentation reinforce BMW Group India’s long-term commitment to cultural engagement. Over a decade of partnership with India Art Fair, the brand has developed a sustained model of collaboration with the contemporary art ecosystem, where support for artistic practice becomes an integral part of a broader cultural strategy.