200 CREATIVE VISIONS FOR THE LOUIS VUITTON BICENTENNIAL
The French trunk maker continues to celebrate two centuries of creation by stopping in New York for the final leg of its traveling exhibition until the end of the year.
For over a year, the luxury brand has been paying tribute to the avant-garde spirit of its founder, Louis Vuitton, born in 1821, with a global tour of the exhibition "200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries ." Starting in Asnières-sur-Seine, the Maison's birthplace, the exhibition stopped in Singapore in April and Los Angeles in September, before settling in Manhattan, in the former Barneys building on Madison Avenue. This final destination is considered the most audacious. The commemorative event invited leading figures from the worlds of art, culture, science, sports, and humanitarian causes to reinvent the iconic trunk through abstract concepts and invitations to dream. These visionaries include, among others, Marc Jacobs, Gloria Steinem, Supreme, BTS, Pat McGrath, Susan Miller, Scott Barry Kaufman, Jean-Michel Othoniel, and Jean-Philippe Delhomme. Visitors are first greeted by "Monsieur Louis," transformed into a giant robot made of digital trunks; then, everything begins with the original design of this revolutionary object created in 1854, which served as a blank canvas for virtuosos from all corners of the globe to imagine the 200 trunks in the exhibition.
Visual experiences
The event unfolds across four floors, showcasing eclectic, vibrant, and colorful atmospheres , including a "secret room" featuring a jukebox trunk designed by DJ Benji B. In another warehouse-like space, trunks are juxtaposed with suspended artworks by Zhang Ding and Mimosa Echard. Elsewhere, Marc Jacobs presents a trunk covered in LV's Stephen Sprouse graffiti print in an entirely pink room. Further on, deep black corridors lead to Turkish artist Refik Anadol's "Data Fabric," a space for reflection on the future of the fashion industry amidst mirrors and digital screens. A heterogeneous panorama, then, open to all kinds of creative expression, such as Robert Moy's Brooklyn Balloon Company, composed of epoxy-painted balloons, Peter Marino's "Houdini Trunk" secured with leather straps, or the flying trunk by French pilot Franky Zapata. In the basement, a residency program called "The Residency" breathes new life into New York's creative scene, while also showcasing how the creative team conceptualized the window displays. And finally, for food and drinks, head to the new Freds x Louis restaurant. The LV200 project has a philanthropic dimension : the trunks on display will be auctioned by Sotheby's in December, and the proceeds will go to Louis Vuitton's scholarship program to support emerging talent.
“200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition”
Until December 31
660 Madison Avenue, New York (United States)
fr.louisvuitton.com/fra-fr/magazine/articles/louis-200-exhibition#
