● ‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission winner Afrah Shafiq showcases ‘A Giant Sampler’ across the India Art Fair façade.
● BMW Concept Speedtop on exclusive display at BMW Collectors Lounge.
Gurugram : BMW Group India returns as the presenting partner of the 17th edition of India Art Fair from 5 – 8 February 2026 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi, marking a decade of the brand’s enduring commitment to cultural engagements in India. India Art Fair is the leading platform showcasing modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia and convenes audiences to explore a record 135 exhibitors, including 94 commercial galleries, presented alongside major regional and international art institutions. The fair welcomes 26 new exhibitors, marking its broadest showcase yet, continuing its mission to foreground the most compelling practices and voices from South Asia alongside major contemporary international artists and collectible design, reaffirming its position as leading site for the discovery of art and culture in the region.
Mr. Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO, BMW Group India, said, “BMW Group India’s decade-long partnership with India Art Fair reflects our unwavering belief that culture, creativity, and innovation are inseparable pillars of progress. Through ‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission and our presence at this vibrant platform, we celebrate the power of artistic expression to shape a sustainable and inclusive future. The BMW Concept Speedtop, showcased this year, symbolizes our commitment to pushing boundaries, where design, technology, and craftsmanship converge to inspire new horizons. Together with India Art Fair, we are proud to nurture a dynamic ecosystem where art and innovation fuel transformation, not just for the automotive world, but for society at large.”
‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission: A Bold New Chapter
Marking ten years of creative partnership with India Art Fair and five years of the landmark ‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission, BMW Group India continues to champion emerging Indian artists on the global stage. The 2026 Commission, themed ‘Crafting in Continuum’, is awarded to Afrah Shafiq for her immersive installation ‘A Giant Sampler’, displayed prominently across the fair’s façade for the first time.
Shafiq’s work reimagines progress as continuity, a harmonious coexistence of handcraft traditions, digital systems, and human touch. Drawing on embroidery motifs and textile practices linked to women’s histories, the installation integrates an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) experience, inviting visitors to engage with layered narratives of memory, movement, and transformation. The BMW wheel, rendered in cross-stitch, emerges as a contemporary emblem of precision, motion, and cyclical change, connecting the brand’s heritage with artistic innovation.
As winners of the prestigious ‘Future is Born of Art’ Commission, led by BMW and India Art Fair, Afrah Shafiq joins the ranks of India’s most promising artistic voices. Previous winners, Non-Linear (Dennis Peter) and Cursorama (Yash Chandak) 2025, Sashikanth Thavudoz (2024), Devika Sundar (2023) and Faiza Hasan (2022), have set the stage with visionary works exploring community, materiality and ecology.
Exclusive Showcase: BMW Concept Speedtop at the BMW Collectors Lounge
The BMW Concept Speedtop embodies BMW’s seamless fusion of art, design, and innovation, presenting a bold vision of craftsmanship and performance. Its striking shark-nose front, illuminated kidney grille, flowing central spline, and distinctive Touring profile create a powerful presence, enhanced by a dramatic roof gradient from Floating Sunstone Maroon to Floating Sundown Silver and bespoke two-tone wheels.
Inside, the precise craftsmanship from BMW’s Dingolfing plant defines a luxurious cabin with brogue style detailing, two-tone leather in Sundown Maroon and Moonstone White, and an ambient light beam inspired by the exterior spline. The leather finished trunk is thoughtfully divided for multi-day journeys.
A collaboration with Italian leather specialist Schedoni adds bespoke luggage and behind seat storage, underscoring the concept’s exclusivity. Powered by BMW’s most powerful V8, the Concept Speedtop combines dramatic design with exhilarating performance. Limited to just 70 units worldwide, it offers collectors a rare opportunity to own a true automotive masterpiece.
The Concept Speedtop reflects BMW Group’s commitment to cultural engagement and the convergence of art, technology, and future mobility.
About BMW Group India Cultural Commitment
The BMW Group has initiated and been engaged in hundreds of global cultural initiatives for over 50 years. From music to film, from architecture to design, contemporary art has played an essential role – via long-term institutional partnerships with major museums or partnering with the leading art fairs around the world, such as Art Basel and Frieze from Los Angeles, New York and Miami, to Seoul, Hong kong, Paris, and London.
Since its inception, BMW India has participated in leading cultural engagements across the country. In 2007, two BMW Art Cars embellished by world-renowned artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein were presented at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. BMW Art Car by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Sandro Chia and Cesar Manrique have been exclusively showcased at various editions of the India Art Fair.
Since its inception in 2012, BMW has partnered with Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the contemporary art exhibition, which brings international artists to India and creates a global platform for Indian artists. In 2012-13, the innovative BMW Guggenheim Lab came to India. Based at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and conducted at six different venues in Mumbai, the lab organised six weeks of free programmes with diverse audiences and communities addressing the challenges and conditions of the urban city.
In 2026, BMW Group India and India Art Fair celebrate ten years of partnership and five years of The Future is Born of Art Commission. A milestone that underscores their shared commitment to creativity, innovation and sustainability at the intersection of art, design and technology.
About India Art Fair | Indiaartfair.in
India Art Fair is the leading platform to discover modern and contemporary art from South Asia. Established in 2008, India Art Fair is the region’s premier modern and contemporary art fair, providing a unique access point to its thriving cultural scene, drawing together galleries, artists, private foundations, arts charities, artist collectives, national institutions, cultural events and festivals. Launching in 2025, IAF EDI+IONS is a new initiative designed as a series of curated showcases across India, reaffirming the fair’s commitment to expanding its regional footprint to celebrate the best of art and culture from across South Asia. Rooted in local cultural contexts while connected to global networks, IAD EDI+IONS extends the fair’s annual curatorial vision beyond Delhi, offering intimate yet impactful experiences for collectors, patrons and institutions, while celebrating the best of South Asian art and design. India Art Fair is owned and operated by Angus Montgomery Arts (AMA), a division of Angus Montgomery Ltd.
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