Rétromobile New York has announced a partnership with CART Department by renowned collector Larry Warsh, ahead of the show's debut this November. Building upon Rétromobile's longstanding celebration of motoring history and design, the collaboration introduces CART Department's distinct perspective on the car as a canvas for creative expression and reflection of contemporary culture. Drawing from Warsh's extensive collection, the presentation will spotlight works that move beyond conventional modes of display to examine the relationship between automobiles, contemporary art, and culture.
For nearly 50 years, Rétromobile has served as a meeting point for the international collector-car community, bringing together significant automotive history and the people shaping the field. Its arrival in New York extends that legacy to the United States, creating a new destination for the collector community while introducing the Rétromobile experience to one of the world's foremost cultural capitals. At the New York edition, CART Department will present a curated selection of art cars and related works, taking visitors through the distinct creative perspectives of internationally recognized artists and cultural figures, including Keith Haring, Jay-Z, Ai Weiwei and Shepard Fairey.
“What makes this collaboration so special is the opportunity to look at the automobile from a different perspective,” shares Gérard Neveu, CEO of Rétromobile New York. “Rétromobile has always celebrated the artistry that makes these cars more than mere machines, and CART brings that same curiosity through the world of contemporary art. New York feels like the perfect place to bring those worlds together, and I think visitors will discover something they may not have expected at the show in November.”
Haring’s 1971 Series III Land Rover Defender is covered in the artist’s signature graphic imagery, including elements from his 1983 poster design for the Montreux Jazz Festival.
The 2004 Maybach 57 featured in Jay-Z’s “Otis” music video was dramatically stripped down and transformed into a custom muscle car, turning the ultra-luxury vehicle into an unexpected cultural object.
Additional works featured in the presentation will include those by Daniel Arsham, Esther Mahlangu, Damien Hirst, Kenny Scharf, Richard Prince, Olafur Eliasson, Zaha Hadid, Jeff Koons, and Barbara Kruger.
Central to the collaboration is Warsh’s more than three decades of experience in the international art world and his longstanding exploration of the car as a vehicle for creative expression. An early collector of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Warsh has assembled more than 70 one-of-a-kind art cars associated with leading figures including Damien Hirst, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Lawrence Weiner, Rashid Johnson and Olafur Eliasson. Most recently, Warsh established CART Department, a cross-platform initiative that examines the automobile beyond its utilitarian purpose through the lens of identity and contemporary culture.
Ai Weiwei’s BMW incorporates thousands of LEGO bricks, transforming a familiar vehicle through one of the artist’s most recognizable materials.
Shepard Fairey’s 1937 Packard 115C Touring Sedan layers imagery across the historic automobile to examine themes of wealth, power and consumption.
Ever since its invention, the automobile has had an irresistible pull on the human imagination, and that's especially true when artists do the imagining,” shares Larry Warsh. “In their visionary hands, vehicles become more than transportation, status symbols, or engineering marvels. They become canvases for art and culture. CART Department is thrilled to collaborate with Rétromobile on their inaugural New York exhibition to introduce CART X, a new hybrid global event that merges cars, art, music, and fashion, reshaping how cars are appreciated in a broader lifestyle context and absorbed into popular culture.”
