Fondation Louis Vuitton Hosts Virgil Abloh’s ‘Coming of Age’ Show
BOY STORY: The Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris will pay tribute to the late Virgil Abloh, artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, with a two-week showing of his “Coming of Age” exhibition.
Unveiled at the Little Big Man Gallery in Los Angeles in 2019, the personal show traveled to Paris, Beijing, Milan, New York City, Munich, Tokyo and Seoul. Coinciding with Abloh’s first campaign for Vuitton for spring 2019, it explored the themes of boyhood and youth through the works of artists such as Ed Templeton and Sandy Kim.
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In its original format, the exhibition gave students, artists and local communities access to a do-it-yourself “copy center” to build and create their own zines with their favorite artworks. It has been expanded and reimagined for its two-week residency at the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Vuitton, which kicks off on Wednesday.
“A tribute to a hands-on creator, the exhibition encourages activities and participation, combining physical events with digital activations. Visitors become participants, alongside artists, photographers, musicians, directors and animators,” Louis Vuitton said in a statement.
“Diverse but united, the participants serve as an illustration of Virgil Abloh’s mission and achievement to democratize the dream embodied by Louis Vuitton, rendering it a domain open to the aspirations of people from all walks of life, all ages, all genders and all races,” the house added.
The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, from Wednesday to April 27. The Fondation Vuitton has hosted major modern art exhibitions including “The Morozov Collection, Icons of Modern Art,” which ended its run on April 3.
Abloh headed Vuitton’s menswear division from March 2018 until his death in November 2021 at the age of 41. The first large-scale retrospective of his work, “Figures of Speech,” made its debut at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 2019 and is coming to the Brooklyn Museum in July.
SEE ALSO:
‘Virgil Was Here’ – a Poignant Show Pays Tribute to the Designer
Virgil Abloh’s Legacy Will Be Seen in Future Generations, According to Museum Curators
Virgil Abloh Talks Chicago Retrospective — and What’s Next
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