BMW Art & Culture celebrates its 10-year partnership with Paris Photo and presents an exhibition of works by Alexandra Catiere. BMW will be at the Grand Palais exhibition from November 14 to 18, 2012.

Paris, 20-11-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — In collaboration with the Nicéphore Niépce Museum, BMW Art & Culture is proud to present “Ici, par-delà les brumes” (Here, beyond the mist), an exhibition of works by Alexandra Catiere, who was selected as winner of the 2011 BMW residency in recognition of the delicacy and humanity of her artistic vision.

Marion Gronier, winner of the 2012 residency, will also present a foretaste of her work in Chalon-sur-Saône in the exhibition area that showcases BMW’s commitment and contribution to photography.

BMW France has been supporting photography since 2003, when it first started working alongside Paris Photo. BMW’s involvement in photography reflects its long-term and deep commitment to contemporary arts. BMW has chosen to support photography as an original, distinct art form, an invention that contributed to the advent of the modern age in much the same way as the automobile. As a medium fundamentally governed by esthetic principles, photography echoes the values of BMW itself.

BMW France’s commitment to photography has led to a unique, ambitious cultural partnership with the Niépce Museum.

BMW France set up the BMW residency in 2011 in partnership with the Nicéphore Niépce Museum, to encourage the development of young photographers and support them in their work. The program offers a photographer the chance to work on a personal project for three months in Chalon-sur-Saône under the guidance of François Cheval, the museum’s Chief Curator.

As well as receiving a grant of €6000 and paid accommodation expenses in Chalon-sur-Saône, the artist is given the opportunity to publish a book and exhibit his or her work at the Rencontres d’Arles festival and at Paris Photo. The residency selection panel includes leading figures in photography such as François Cheval, François Hébel, Director of the Rencontres d’Arles festival, Chantal Nedjib and Patrick de Carolis, Head of the National School of Photography in Arles.

The BMW Group, a committed patron of contemporary arts for 40 years

The BMW Group has a keen sense of social responsibility, especially when it comes to culture. Over the past 40 years it has offered its support to a diverse range of cultural projects, particularly focusing its attention on modern and contemporary art, jazz and classical music, and architecture and design. The BMW Group recognizes the value of absolute creative freedom, which it sees as an essential ingredient in the creation of artistic masterpieces, just as it is in the emergence of major innovations in a company. The BMW Group has launched and supported more than 100 cultural projects across the world.

Serge Naudin, Chairman of the Board of BMW France, gave his comments on this commitment:

“BMW is a passionate supporter of photography. It is a wonderful example of the affinities between an art form and a brand, both of which are underpinned by a technical performance that is dedicated to esthetics and pleasure.”

Information about the exhibition and the exhibition space:

The exhibition will include 20 images by artist Alexandra Catiere, winner of the first BMW residency, and the first images produced by Marion Gronier, the 2012 winner who is currently in residence.

Alexandra Catiere was selected for her works that combine traditional and avant-garde techniques, demonstrating “a modernity that does not seek to be outwardly modern” (François Cheval).

She spent the three months of the residency on a unique personal project that transcended the traditional limits of theme, genre and technique: she met with men, women and children and took inspiration from their life stories as well as from her own impressions of the town, using her images to reflect on the concepts of time and space.

The photos that she produced at the end of her residency depict a world that is full of stark contrasts but forms a coherent whole, with a human dimension that speaks to each one of us.

Marion Gronier, winner of the second BMW residency, impressed the selection panel by the sensitivity with which she lays bare the faces and souls of her subjects.

Alexandra Catiere will be in the BMW exhibition area every day between 3 and 5pm.

To arrange a meeting, please write to bmwartetculture@bmw.fr.

She will be signing copies of her book “Ici, par delà les brumes”, published as part of the new BMW Art & Culture collection for Trocadéro.

Visitors to the exhibition can watch a video of Alexandra Catiere’s “work in progress” filmed by François Goizé during the residency.

Representatives from BMW and the Nicéphore Niépce Museum will be on hand to comment on the BMW residency and answer any questions from artists interested in the program.

Information about the BMW residency:

The call for applications for the 2013 BMW residency at the Nicéphore Niépce Museum will be launched on January 5, 2013. The application form will be available for download on the museum site (www.museeniepce.com) and the BMW site (www.bmw.fr/artetculture).

For more information, please contact:

Jordane de Tyssandier Emmanuelle Vieillard

BMW France Musée Nicéphore Niépce

Corporate Communications Communication

Tél : +33 1 30 43 93 23 Tél : +33 3 85 48 10 16

Email : jordane.de-tyssandier@bmw.fr communication.niepce@chalonsursaone.fr

Chantal Nedjib

L’image par l’image

Tel +33 1 6 40 23 65 10

cnedjib@chantalnedjibconseil.com

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 29 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2011, the BMW Group sold about 1.67 million cars and more than 113,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2011 was euro 7.38 billion on revenues amounting to euro 68.82 billion. At 31 December 2011, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 100,000 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last eight years.

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