Blue Hero by Adrian Mitu
‘Blue Hero’ is an art project by Romanian artist Adrian Mitu, about the motorsport legend Jochen Neerpasch. Unveiled in Bucharest in the presence of Neerpasch, the project follows his career in motorsport, his influence on brands such as BMW and Porsche, and his ties with other emblematic motorsport heroes such as Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
‘Blue Hero’ is the result of two-years work by Mitu, a journey to create an art installation picturing the special history of BMW. Consisting of 15 panels, the artworks can be brought together to create an impressive mural which spans over 4 metres. The work follows two stories that spread between the 1940s and 1990s – the evolution of the BMW brand in parallel to the automotive career of Jochen Neerpasch. They highlight important milestones for both the company and Neerpasch in his personal career, such as racing driving, the creation of BMW Motorsport, establishing the first major junior team in BMW’s racing history, facilitating unique competitions such as the BMW M1 Procar Championship as well as recognising the potential of the interaction of art and motorsport by helping Hervé Poulain kick off the first BMW Art Car by Alexander Calder in 1975 which amounted into a collection that still continues today.