A patron of the arts for over 50 years, BMW has been supporting photography in France for more than 20 years. After 10 successful years, the BMW Residency gave way to the BMW ART MAKERS programme in 2021. This programme reflects the new direction taken by BMW Group France to support artists and curators and reinvent its model. Still dedicated to emerging creativity, experimentation and the image, this programme is open to the visual arts and offers a grant to an artist-curator duo, accompanied by a research and production budget.

To mark the bicentenary of photography in 2026, the BMW ART MAKERS programme invites candidates to celebrate this heritage while imagining projects that look to the future. Echoing Niépce's pioneering spirit, this exceptional edition calls for an exploration of the links between image, innovation and transformation, in a context where creation and responsibility come together.

Since 1826, photography has been at the heart of cultural and technological change — a role that BMW shares today through its commitment to smarter, more humane and more sustainable mobility. The artist/curator duo is thus invited to propose a project that reinvents our relationship with image, movement and progress.

The call for applications is open until 31 December 2025 at 11:59 p.m. The winning duo will be announced in January 2026.

BMW ART MAKERS: financial, material and human support, including

A €10,000 grant for the artist,
A grant of €8,000 for the curator,
A budget of €15,000 for research and production of the works,
The production of an exhibition integrated into major events such as Paris Photo and the Rencontres d'Arles,
Communication support.

Practical information

The project must:

Innovate or experiment with the medium
Develop a well-thought-out scenography that can be reused throughout its life cycle at the Rencontres d'Arles and then at Paris Photo
Promote the sober and responsible use of resources
Question or provide an artistic perspective on current issues.

Where would you like to connect?

BMW ART MAKERS Programme – Call for applications

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