"We had to find a way to dance to make it happen": The Möllard siblings on making MINI's Nordic-inspired art car

On a summer’s day in Båstad, over the course of six hours and in front of a mesmerised audience, a crisp white MINI Cooper was meticulously transformed into a vibrant work of art. Swedish artist siblings Madelen and Robert Möllard engaged in a sort of choreographed performance, first priming the vehicle in a muted yellow before adding grass and trees, fields of poppies and the twinkling stars of a night sky.

Related: At The Aurora 2025 the Möllard siblings will transform a MINI Cooper into a moving work of art

Parked in Vogue Scandinavia’s lounge at The Aurora, an annual car and lifestyle event that brings out the world’s finest automobiles and the people who love them, the vehicle drew a lot of attention as the landscape on its four sides – not to mention its hood and roof – took shape. At last, when the siblings put down their brushes as the sun began to set, this Nordic-inspired MINI art car was born.

“It felt really nice to paint on the lacquer,” says Madelen, noting that once she and Robert put their paint brushes to the car, everything flowed quite naturally. “We couldn’t both be in the same place at the same time,” adds Robert. “We had to find a way to dance to make it happen.”

That isn’t to say the piece sprung from their collective thoughts spontaneously. Bringing the car to life so seamlessly took meticulous planning. First there was a flurry of 2D sketches rendered in the Möllards’ Stockholm loft studio, after which they moved onto a 3D canvas, painting three toy cars (there was also the detail of preparing the materials – a spreadsheet was made to determine how much paint would be needed and the paint was ordered express in several batches). The last bit of inspiration was gleaned on the road; the siblings drove the blank white MINI Cooper from Stockholm to their hometown of Karlshamn, Blekinge before setting off to Båstad, gaining a feel for the car itself and taking in the landscape that would ultimately be reflected back on its exterior. “The landscapes are usually reflected in the shiny lacquer of the car,” says Robert. “But we have captured a moment of driving through a landscape.” There was also a bit of fantasy at play; we don’t have many palm trees in Sweden, yet they feature in the artwork.

Both siblings agree there’s a particular feeling to roadtripping in a MINI. “It was so joyful to drive that car,” says Madelen, who admits that it was Robert who did most of the driving. Robert soon discovered the MINI Cooper’s Go-Kart mode, which offers punchier sound effects and a more sensitive throttle response for a sportier drive. “It really invited us to play,” says Madelen. The siblings started their journey listening to hip French indie tunes by Serge Gainsbourg and arrived in Båstad blasting Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’.

Among the spectators watching the Möllards paint their unusual canvas was Martin Pohl. The Head of Marketing of MINI in Northern Europe, Pohl felt Robert and Madelen and the MINI Cooper were an ideal match from the start; both the artists and the car embody a joyful spirit and both set out to make people smile. “We’re creating happiness for people,” says Pohl, adding that it was vital that the community be let into the process of creating the art car. “We are not doing this creation behind closed doors and only exhibiting the car exclusively. The idea was to invite and let people join, watch and engage with the artists – and MINI.”

Guests of The Aurora would periodically come back throughout the day to check in on the Möllards’ progress. Whilst the artists were on a lunch break, a child even picked up a paintbrush and tried to add his own flourish (Robert gently intervened just in time). “Whenever you looked there would be new layers and new touches,” says Pohl. Simultaneously, as Robert and Madelen worked on opposite sides of the 3D object, they were often surprised when they came around the corner to discover the progress the other had made.

Related: Madelen Möllard paints her signature florals on camera for Vogue Scandinavia

Collaborating with a Swedish artist duo, meanwhile, underlines the brand´s relationship with art and its understanding of connecting timeless style with a modern mindset. In fact, having worked for 10 years for the BMW Group, home of MINI next to BMW, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, Pohl joined the brand just in time for the 2024 launch of the new MINI family. The next generation vehicles feature the design language called “Charismatic Simplicity”, rooted in a renewed focus on the essential. Meanwhile, the MINI Cooper’s practical yet pleasing aesthetic (Pohl rightly describes it as a “design icon that you actually can enjoy driving”) places it neatly in Sweden’s rich design heritage. “Here in Scandinavia it has a long history – you see generations coming together,” says Pohl. “Grandparents are standing next to the Cooper, reminisce about the past and saying, ‘This was my first car’.”

Simultaneously, the MINI invites a certain creativity and customisation, one that squares nicely with the notion of an art car (a legacy established by MINI’s aforementioned parent company BMW, whose cars designed by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein continue to travel the world as beloved sculptures). It’s no surprise that many private MINI Cooper owners see their vehicles not just as a car, but as a member of the family. “We are a brand with a lot of fan clubs – people love their cars,” says Pohl. “They even give them names.”

As for where the Möllards’ masterful MINI will travel next, that remains to be seen. But the artists have some ideas. “Maybe drive down to Italy!” suggests Robert. “Or just cruise around in Go-Kart mode,” says Madelen. “Have a picnic.”