BMW’s Controversial 7 Series Becomes an Art Basel Museum Piece

To many, the current BMW 7 Series already vaguely resembles something you might see in a modern art exhibit. It certainly isn’t traditionally beautiful. Its slab-like design, split headlights, and imposing (read: enormous) front grille give it an unmistakable aesthetic. So, perhaps its unsurprising to hear that the G70 7 Series has made its modern art debut in an exhibit running from June 15^th until June 21^st at Art Basel 2026.

The G70 Becomes a Museum Piece

BMW is using Art Basel in Basel 2026 to connect its Neue Klasse technology story with contemporary art. The company has partnered with A.A.Murakami — the London- and Tokyo-based duo of Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves — on SYMBIOSIS. The immersive art installation is inspired by BMW Symbiotic Drive, the Neue Klasse-era driver assistance concept built around closer cooperation between human intention and intelligent vehicle systems. Conceptually, Symbiotic Drive comprises AI-driven systems that anticipate the driver and enhance the driving experience.

A.A.Murakami translates that idea into a physical, multi-sensory artwork. Rather than presenting technology as something purely digital, SYMBIOSIS uses engineered structures to create natural, unpredictable phenomena including bubbles, light, and mist. The point is the tension between control and surrender: machines initiate the experience, but airflow, gravity, temperature, entropy, and chance shape the final result. The artists call this approach “Ephemeral Tech.” The artists: “Once a bubble is released into the air, its final form no longer belongs to the machine, it belongs to gravity, airflow, temperature, entropy and chance. That surrender is what symbiosis means to us.”

How the 7 Series Fits In

BMW itself describes the BMW 760e xDrive — the car featured in the exhibit — as the perfect fit. “Its monolithic design, interior, driving experience and craftsmanship will be the ultimate completion of its generation,” the brand says. Its perhaps debatable that the G70 BMW 7 Series’ design never really landed as a “hit” with the masses. However, its application here is extremely fitting. Unmistakable design and presence fits right into the art world.

Of course, SYMBIOSIS is far from BMW’s first escapade into the art world. The BMW Art Cars are a huge part of the brand’s heritage, a veritable who’s-who of legendary artists. The cars aren’t bad, too, with Art Cars ranging from the E31 8 Series to the E30 M3 and more. SYMBIOSIS is arguably a bit more controversial. Even after an LCI, the G70 7 Series is decidedly a more polarizing design, but the subject matter may also raise some eyebrows. The exhibit’s esoteric ties to AI assistance aren’t perhaps the most immediately accessible ideology in the art world. On the other hand, some say good art makes you think. At least by that metric, SYMBIOSIS is worth checking out. If you find yourself in Switzerland in the next week, stop by Art Basel and see the exhibit for yourself.