Johannesburg. BMW south Africa returns to strengthen their bond with the culture and creativity, with the presentation of the BMW Art Generation Vol. IV, an initiative which seeks to connect african art, contemporary new generations of viewers through the exchange of knowledge, reflection, and cultural dialogue.

From 28 August to 6 September 2026, Johannesburg will be the scenario of this fourth edition, developed in collaboration with FNB Art Joburg under the concept, “what the water we drink?”, a proposal that explores indigenous knowledge systems as living sources of memory, identity and cultural evolution.

Rather than a traditional lecture, BMW Art Generation Vol. IV is presented as a meeting platform where artists, collectors, researchers and the general public can share ideas about the role of art in the construction of the present and in the imagination of the future.

The initiative reflects the cultural vision of the BMW south Africa, which over the years has undertaken projects aimed to support the artistic creation, promote intergenerational learning and to create spaces where the different cultural expressions to find new paths of dialogue.

BMW Art Generation Vol. IV: art, knowledge and cultural connection

Art has always occupied an important place in the strategy of global cultural BMW. Through different international projects, the German brand has built a long-term relationship with artists, institutions and creative communities, understanding the culture as a tool capable of bringing together different perspectives.

In south Africa, BMW Art Generation represents an extension of that commitment. The initiative was born as a space dedicated to discovering, supporting and disseminating contemporary art practices of the african continent, with a special focus on those proposals that challenge the history, identity and the relationship between past and future.

For nine days, BMW Art Generation Vol. IV will offer a schedule wide which will include exhibitions, talks with artists, presentations, guided tours and educational activities designed to bring contemporary african art to different audiences.

“At BMW we believe art has the power to connect to people, open up new perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world around us”, he explained Taz Ramphisa, director general of Customers and Brand of BMW south Africa.

According to Ramphisa, this initiative represents the commitment of the company with the creativity, the cultural exchange and the active participation in the art world african.

Through these spaces of encounter, BMW seeks to create opportunities to discover new voices, to understand different forms of expression, and to strengthen the relationship between art, society and innovation.

“What the water we drink?”: a reflection on indigenous knowledge systems

The conceptual axis of BMW Art Generation Vol. IV revolves around a profound question: “what the water we drink?”.

The phrase works as a metaphor about the origin of knowledge and the way in which societies transmit their experiences, traditions, and learning from one generation to another.

The exhibition explores indigenous knowledge systems as dynamic structures that continue to evolve with the passage of time. Not presented as elements of the past, but as active sources able to provide new perspectives for understanding the current challenges.

Through different artistic disciplines such as photography, sculpture, installation, video, performance, and projects based on research, the participating artists address issues related to the collective memory, cultural identity, and the relationship between communities and territories.

The proposal invites the visitor to reflect on fundamental questions: how knowledge is constructed?, who decides what stories remain?, how can we protect and transmit this knowledge to the future generations?

In this way, BMW Art Generation Vol. IV transforms art into a tool of conversation, where the individual and collective experiences are a space to be heard.

An exhibition in two parts to expand the artistic experience

One of the novelties of this edition will be the format is divided in two chapters are interconnected, designed to offer a more complete experience and envelope.

The first part will take place in The BMW Art Haus, located in Parktown North, Johannesburg. This space, designed specifically for BMW Art Generation, transforms a home environment in a scenario dedicated to the artistic exploration, conversation, and learning.

Here, visitors can get up close to the works from a more intimate perspective, allowing a close relationship between the public and the different creative proposals.

Subsequently, the project will continue within the section MAX FNB Art Joburg, one of the most important platforms for contemporary african art.

This second presentation will allow us to extend the reach of the program and connect BMW Art Generation with collectors, industry professionals, artistic and international visitors who come to the fair.

The union of the two spaces creates a journey that starts from a more personal experience and thoughtful until you come to a public meeting of a larger scale, showing the diversity and richness of african art to contemporary.

BMW and its commitment to the african culture, contemporary

BMW Art Generation Vol. IV represents the evolution of a project that, in just four editions, it has managed to establish itself as a platform relevant within the cultural landscape of south africa.

For BMW south Africa, the aim is not only to exhibit works of art, but to create an ecosystem where knowledge can be shared and where new generations will be able to approach creativity from different perspectives.

Mandla Sibeko, director of the FNB Art Joburg, stressed that the initiative goes beyond present african art contemporary.

“It is about creating the conditions for a significant interaction,” he said, highlighting the importance of building spaces where knowledge can circulate between generations.

This approach coincides with a broader vision of BMW on the role of culture within society. The brand believes that art, like technology and mobility, it is a force capable of transforming the way people connect with the world.

The collaboration with FNB Art Joburg strengthens in addition to the presence of BMW within the ecosystem artistic african, supporting emerging artists and consolidated while helping to drive new forms of cultural rapprochement.

A new chapter for BMW Art Generation

With BMW's Art Generation Vol. IV, BMW south Africa continues to expand an initiative that combines creativity, education, and public participation.

Editing 2026 is not only celebrates the artistic talent of africa, but proposes a conversation about the roots of knowledge and about the importance of preserving, sharing, and renew the stories that they construct a society.

From 28 August to 6 September 2026, Johannesburg will become a meeting point for artists, collectors and art lovers, in an experience where tradition and innovation coexist within the same space.

BMW Art Generation demonstrates that the culture can become a bridge between generations, territories and ideas, reaffirming the commitment of BMW with creativity as an essential tool for understanding the world today.

Source: BMW Group