Renault is using its recently re-opened showroom (as distinct from dealership…) and events space on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the Defile Renault, to show off a new exhibition which is being described as 'a dialogue between Pop Art, Urban Art, and the automobile.'
We might need some explaining for all that…
Thought so. Us too… Basically, Renault is using the 'Carwalk' - the huge ramp that winds its way up through the exhibition space, like a fashion catwalk, to show off a collection of its electric concept and production cars, alongside some very cool artwork. It's even giving a debut to a never-before-seen piece of art by 'Invader'. He's kind of the French Banksy. Le Banksie, if you will.
So what's on show?
On the art front, the exhibits demonstrate the progression from bright, colourful, 1940s and 1950s 'Pop Art' - best exemplified by Roy Lichtenstein - through to 'Urban Art', which is the more modern cousin to Pop Art, and which uses a mixture of graffiti, mural, and more to bring art to the wider public.
Among the exhibits is Invader's tribute to Formula 1 racing through his celebrated mosaics referencing the video game Pole Position, 2008. For the exhibition, a previously unseen work will be presented to the public for the very first time. Then there's Victor Vasarely, father of Op Art, and Erró of the leading figures of Narrative Figuration - the French strand of Pop Art - represented here by four works. The Luncheon on the Grass reinterpreted in spray paint by Jean Faucheur, co-founder of the Frères Ripoulin group; works inspired by pop culture by D*Face and Lee Quinones; works rooted in New York graffiti culture by John "Crash" Matos while also featured is Arman's Accumulation Renault n°115 (1967), composed of Renault logos encased in plexiglass - an iconic example of his serial work focused on mass-produced objects.
We were kind of more interested in the cars, to be honest…
Ah, of course. Well, you'll not be left wanting. There's 2021's 'Suite No.4' by Mathieu Lehanneur, which was made to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Renault 4, as well as act as something of a prequel to the arrival of the new Renault 4 E-tech. It's kind of an original Renault 4 re-imagined as a birdcage-like hotel room.
Then there's the R5 reimagined by Pierre Gonalons, an electric-powered original Renault 5 decked out in a fabulous shade of pink, with details inspired by jewellery and watchmaking.
There's 2023's Twingo by Sabine Marcelis, which mixes light and translucence to create a tribute to the classic original Twingo, and the slightly odd (but very interesting) 'visual poem' by Dan Rawlings, called Bourgeon and Accrescent, which is made of sculpted metal resembling brambles and foliage, and which is meant to be based on the new Renault 5 E-tech and the classic Renault 5.
On a more obviously car-based footing, there's the gorgeous EV-powered Renault 17 coupe restomod, from 2024, made in collaboration with designer Ora Ïto, which could not be more brown, and a concept we really wish Renault would just put into production already.
Speaking of production, there is the fabulous 380hp quad-motor all-electric Renault 5 Turbo 3E - an electric supercar wearing a Renault 5 rally car's body, and which you can actually buy, if you have a handy €200,000 or thereabouts.
Finally, there's the Renault Filante Record, a stunning flight of fancy, resurrecting the lines of a 1920s streamlined land speed record car in a modern electric shape, and a car which has gone on to set a few records of its own, covering 1,008km in under ten hours at an average speed of 102km/h, with a consumption of just 7.8 kWh/100 km. At the end of the run, 11 per cent battery charge remained, equivalent to over 120 additional kilometres at speeds above 100km/h, all using the battery from a road-standard Renault Scenic.
"With Pop Art Car, we celebrate the unique place Renault holds in popular culture. Renault has always belonged to the street, to people, to the images that define our era. This exhibition captures that energy: the car becomes creative material, a pop motif, a canvas for expression. It shows how design, innovation and creativity feed one another,” said Arnaud Belloni - Global Marketing Director, Renault.
"Pop and urban artists have always worked in close contact with everyday visual culture. Cars are objects of daily life, but also emotional icons that have inspired artists for nearly a century. Presenting these works alongside the show cars allows a new reading of popular culture to emerge and reminds us that art, like the automobile, belongs to everyone,” said Catherine Gros, President of the Renault Fund for Art and Culture.
When can I see all this?
The exhibition runs up to 26 April 2026, and depending on the day you go, there will be DJ sets, guided tours, and even a live art installation featuring artist Joshua Vides, who will be creating an artwork on a Twingo E-Tech electric from 9 to 11 April 2026.