Munich/Paris. 2026 will be a special year for
photography as we celebrate the bicentenary of its creation.
Nicéphore Niépce, a visionary inventor from the
early 19th century, is widely recognised as having produced
the first permanent photograph in 1826, thereby
sparking a visual revolution that continues to shape the way we see
the world today. the world today. Less well known but equally
influential, Nicéphore, along with his brother Claude,
was also a pioneer of the internal combustion
engine, an invention that profoundly transformed mobility and
our daily lives. These two major advances,
photography and the internal combustion engine, have brought about
fundamental technological and cultural changes. It is in this spirit
that BMW, at the crossroads of mobility and creativity, is
passionately committed to photographic patronage, notably at the
Niépce Museum in Chalon-sur-Saône, where the BMW residency was born in
2010, before launching the BMW ART MAKERS programme in 2021. Evolution
and progress come through knowledge: these inventions provide rich
material for artists and curators to think about and create, inviting
them to imagine new forms of expression and reflection.
Call for applications
To celebrate the
bicentenary of photography in 2026, the BMW ART MAKERS programme
invites applicants to honour this heritage while imagining
forward-looking projects. Echoing Niépce’s pioneering spirit, this
exceptional edition encourages the exploration of the links between
image, innovation and transformation, in a context where creativity
and responsibility come together.
Since 1826, photography has stood at the heart of cultural and
technological change—an ambition now shared by BMW through its
commitment to more intelligent, more human-centered and more
sustainable mobility. Artist–curator duos are therefore invited to
propose a project that reimagines our relationship with the image,
movement and progress.
The call for applications is open until 31 December 2025 at
11:59 p.m.
The winning duo will be announced in January 2026.
BMW ART MAKERS: financial, material and human support
that includes
A grant of €10,000 for the artist,
A grant of €8,000 for the curator,
A budget of €15,000 for research and production of the works,
The production of an exhibition integrated into major events such
as Paris Photo and the Rencontres d’Arles,
Support in coordination and communication.
Practical information
In particular, the project should:
Innovate or experiment with the medium.
Design a scenography that is carefully thought out throughout its
entire life cycle and can be reused at the Rencontres d’Arles and
then at Paris Photo.
Prioritise the sober and responsible use of resources.
Question or provide an artistic perspective on current issues.
Applications are open until 31 December 2025 on the dedicated BMW
ART MAKERS application platform. More information is
available on the official Instagram account bmwgroupculture_fr.
The nominated duos will be contacted in early January to present
their project to the jury, which will announce the winning duo in
January 2026.
Over 50 years of cultural patronage
For more
than 50 years, BMW has been committed to culture, convinced that
artists are pioneers capable of anticipating and revealing the major
challenges of their time. Supporting creativity means supporting those
who are shaping the future.
This commitment is exemplified in its longstanding partnerships—23
years with Paris Photo and 15 years with the Rencontres
Photographiques d’Arles. By supporting the international art scene,
BMW offers decisive visibility to emerging talents, many of whom have
since achieved major recognition, reaffirming the relevance of this
engagement. This dialogue between artistic innovation, society and
business reflects a shared ambition: to safeguard the future of
culture and make it accessible to all, today and for generations to come.
From Frank Stella to Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and the emerging artists
of the BMW Residency and the BMW ART MAKERS programme, BMW has spent
decades promoting new artistic perspectives and the hybridisation of
techniques across contemporary art, music, architecture, design,
photography and the visual arts. Hundreds of projects have been
created worldwide.
The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement, with exclusive updates and
deeper insights into its global initiatives can be followed on
Instagram at @BMWGroupCulture.