Embracing sustainability with artistic innovation. BMW Brilliance “New Plant Art Project” was officially completed

Art is an indispensable part of culture and a major driving force for sustainable development. Upholding its long-term commitment to corporate sustainability and its enduring support and passion for art, the BMW Group and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) have partnered with Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA) in Shenyang to launch the “New Plant Art Project”. After two years of preparation, the project was officially completed recently.

• BMW Brilliance “New Plant Art Project” drives sustainability with the power of art
• BMW upholds corporate sustainability and contributes to sustainable development with culture and arts
• Sharing andempowerment are the driving force for BMW and its partners to co-create sustainable social value

Shenyang. Art is an indispensable part of culture and a major driving force for sustainable development. Upholding its long-term commitment to corporate sustainability and its enduring support and passion for art, the BMW Group and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) have partnered with Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (LAFA) in Shenyang to launch the “New Plant Art Project”. After two years of preparation, the project was officially completed recently. With the theme of “sustainability” that is in line with the BMW iFACTORY production strategy implemented in the BMW Shenyang production base, the project has carefully selected 10 remarkable artworks created by 10 young artists, as a unique gift for the 20th anniversary of BMW Brilliance. The 10 artworks, including oil paintings, sculptures and installations, etc., are exhibited at the expanded area of BBA Plant Dadong and Plant Tiexi Lydia Site.

The BBA New Plant Art Project aims to enhance the awareness of sustainable development among employees and the public through cultural and artistic activities, improve public’s sensitivity towards sustainable development through the planning and presentation of exhibitions and performances, and foster their environmental-friendly habits in daily life. Meanwhile, by facilitating the intercultural communication between China and Germany and the fusion of industrial intelligence and contemporary art, the project provides abundant sources of inspiration for young artists and diverse interpretations of sustainability through the unique artistic experiences and innovative narratives.

Upholding corporate sustainability and actively engaging in social undertakings.
BMW believes that corporates with true corporate sustainability are ones that deliver value to customers and actively engage in social undertakings, as well as emphasize long-term sustainable development and create long-term value for shareholders and society. BMW has always embraced three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social sustainability. These three pillars are one organic unity, with economic sustainability as the foundation, environmental sustainability as the prerequisite, and social sustainability as the goal. They enable a company to transform from individual to collective consciousness, maximize its social value and share its value.

"A good partnership is never solely defined by economic benefits. Today, the sustainable business philosophy and the value created for society have become the key elements to measuring the success of a company," said Ms. Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources, Labour Relations Director. For BMW, No Premium Without Sustainability. It regards sustainability as its core competitiveness and essential premium, which outweighs profitability and is designed to create multi-values for society.

Creating sustainable social value through sharing and empowerment.
In the process of creating sustainable value, BMW places equal importance on the approaches. It adopts a “future-oriented social insight” and joins hands with more partners with the help of “empowerment” “crossover” and “social collaboration” to co-create social value. Teaming up with art is one of the effective ways to create sustainability and share the concept.

As an influential corporate citizen, the BMW Group has been involved in supporting hundreds of global cultural projects for more than 50 years to promote the development of art. In China, as early as 2011, the BMW Group initiated its first collaboration with Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and Academy of Fine Arts Munich in terms of Plant Tiexi Art Project. With these projects including the BMW Brilliance “New Plant Art Project”, BMW offers people an emotional experience to understand sustainability, broadens the horizons of young artists, enriches their professional experience and inspires their passion for exploration, as well as promotes local cultural cooperation and innovative development.

Dr. Franz Decker, President & CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., also shared his thoughts on the New Plant Art Project, “For the past 20 years, we have been committed to establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with the local community, empowering talents, and contributing to the local development. The New Plant Art Project perfectly exemplifies our harmonious connection with the community outside of the factory.”

BMW Brilliance’s persistence in sustainability has been recognized by young artists and recorded in their artworks. The work Time Machine symbolizes the cohesion of people in an enterprise. The diverse substances embedded in the linear cubes embody the change of matters on the same stretch of land as time goes by, which expand the spatial and temporal dimensions of the plant, signifying the transformation of this land from agricultural cultivation to commercial manufacturing while emphasizing the natural connection between the factory and the land.

In the work Silent, the artist depicts its most memorable impression of BBA Plants – minimalistic in color yet orderly in production. During the factory visit, the artist profoundly realized that BBA not only focuses on its own development but also takes the environment into consideration. The environment gets improved along with BBA’s progress so that they both achieve sustainable development.

Meanwhile, Backbone portrays the plant built during the development of heavy industry in Northeast China. The painting of old plant displayed in the new plant, not only builds a bridge of communication between the two eras but represents a continuity. The appearance of factories may change, technologies may be iterated, and workers shuttle here and there, but the glory and responsibility they bear will endure, further contributing to the development of local community.

Working together to create a bright and sustainable future.
Sustainability is about the harmonious coexistence between human and nature. As Earth is a shared community of life and people are facing common challenges such as global climate changes, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution, it should be the common goal for members from different fields to pursue: to make more progress in human civilization and balance the relationships among economy, environment and society.

As a company deeply rooted in China, BBA will continue to contribute to the local economy and society, defend the culture, communicate the sustainable innovation, and protect our beautiful home. It will also implement the shared value of sustainability with more like-minded partners and transform from individual to collective consciousness. While leading the automotive industry towards sustainability, BMW looks forward to sharing its ideas of intercultural communication with more partners, so as to propel China’s sustainable development, foster a harmonious coexistence with nature and create a driving force for sustainable social value.