Buy Me a Car is a participatory art project launched in 2011 that invites 300,000 people to each donate one Ethiopian Birr to purchase a locally assembled car. Contributors choose where their names will be inscribed on the vehicle.

Rather than focusing on the car itself, the project centers on the social dynamics of giving. Public performances and discussions unfold in buses, taxis, and marketplaces, sparking debate about privilege, value, and the ethics of asking. Responses range from generosity to irritation, revealing societal norms and economic desire.

The final car–if realized–will be publicly displayed alongside documentation of the process.