It’s not the first time Renault has turned to contemporary art to frame its future. In these electric mobility times, Renault hands over the keys to its upcoming Twingo E-Tech Electric to Los Angeles-based artist Joshua Vides.
The result is a striking, black-and-white reinterpretation of the compact city car that looks as if it has stepped straight out of a sketchbook. Flattened into a two-dimensional illusion through Vides’ signature “Reality to Idea” (RTI) technique.
Unique link
At first glance, the collaboration may seem like another marketing exercise designed for social media traction. But in Renault’s case, it reflects a long-standing and rather unique link between art, design, and industrial production.
As early as 1967, the company invited contemporary artists such as Victor Vasarely, Jean Dubuffet, and Jean Tinguely into its factories to work alongside engineers –not to decorate cars, but to engage with the industrial process itself. That exchange helped shape Renault’s creative culture and continues to underpin the brand’s use of art today.
The Twingo project is less an isolated stunt than the latest chapter in a strategy that has consistently used artists to rethink how cars are perceived.
Vides is known for transforming real-world objects – ranging from sneakers to entire cars – into graphic, comic-like renderings by covering them in white and outlining every contour in bold black lines.
Braking conventions
The technique deliberately blurs the boundary between object and concept, making three-dimensional forms appear flat and schematic. Applied to the new Twingo, it creates a visual paradox: a fully functional electric vehicle presented as if it were still in its earliest design phase.
That conceptual twist aligns closely with the role the Twingo has historically played within Renault’s portfolio. When the original model debuted in 1993, it broke with convention through its minimalist design, rounded “face,” and almost cartoonish proportions.
It was conceived as a radical simplification of the automobile: accessible, urban, and emotionally engaging. The electric successor aims to revive that philosophy in a new context, targeting affordability in the entry-level EV segment while emphasizing design clarity and character.
By inviting Vides to reinterpret the car, Renault effectively visualizes that philosophy. The artist strips the vehicle down to its visual essence, echoing the brand’s ambition to reduce complexity in both design and mobility. The message is subtle but clear: this is not just another electric car, but a rethinking of what a car should be at its most fundamental level.
Contrast with premium carmakers
What distinguishes Renault’s strategy is its contrast with that of premium manufacturers. At BMW, artistic collaborations have long taken the form of the Art Car program.
Figures such as Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons have transformed high-performance models into rolling canvases. The emphasis there lies on exclusivity and collectability, positioning the car as a museum-worthy object.
Porsche, meanwhile, tends to use art to reinforce its brand mythology, often centering on the enduring design of the 911. Collaborations are typically refined and heritage-driven, underscoring timelessness and precision rather than experimentation or accessibility.
Renault’s approach moves in a different direction. Instead of elevating the car into the realm of high art or luxury, it uses artistic interventions to make its vehicles more relatable and to highlight their underlying design logic.
In the case of the Twingo, Vides’ graphic treatment does not add layers of meaning so much as it removes them, reducing the car to its most recognizable lines and proportions.
