For a limited time this fall, those in Paris will be able to see and experience works from late designer and visionary Virgil Abloh’s 20,000-object archive. Abloh passed away in 2021 from a rare form of cancer at the age of 41. Still, he continues to be regarded as an influential designer, tastemaker, and creative by those he inspired. This year, from September 30 through October 10, an exhibit will celebrate the late Off-White label founder and his nearly 20 years of multidisciplinary work in the creative industry. The showcase will be on display inside Paris’ Grand Palais museum and cultural hub. Notably, the exhibit’s opening day is on the late designer’s birthday, September 30.
Titled “Virgil Abloh: The Codes,” a press release notes that the Paris display will be an “expanded edition” of a 2022 exhibit of the same name. The “codes” are in reference to Abloh’s “signature design principles,” which he weaved through the many mediums comprising his work.
The forthcoming showcase will be “the first major European exhibition exclusively devoted” to the late designer’s work. The Virgil Abloh Foundation and Nike are its organizers. Additionally, it’s being curated by the prolific late creative’s close friends and collaborators, married couple Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan.
What Can Visitors Expect?
Visitors can expect a dynamic and visually compelling combination of pieces from Abloh’s career. The press release promises “hundreds of objects, prototypes, sketches, and images,” as well as items from Abloh’s “personal collections and library.” Moreover, the week-and-a-half-long exhibit will prioritize fostering and building the creative community. In addition to being on display during this year’s upcoming Paris Fashion Week, the exhibit will be accompanied by “a series of publications and public programs, including dialogues, workshops, performances, and screenings.”
The Grand Palais is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The museum has extended late hours on Fridays, open until 10:30 p.m. Ticket prices for entry depend on the exhibit, and those for “Virgil Abloh: The Codes” aren’t public yet. The venue strongly advises online booking.
What Else Is There To Know About “Virgil Abloh: The Codes?”
Shannon Abloh, the late designer’s wife, is the chief executive officer and managing director of Virgil Abloh Securities. Also, she serves as the founder and board president of the Virgil Abloh Foundation, and as the president and chair of the Virgil Abloh Archive™. Speaking on the forthcoming Grand Palais showcase, she said, “This exhibit is just the beginning of our work to share Virgil’s legacy and principles with the creative community and the broader world. Sharing his personal collection, unfinished projects, and magnum opuses with the public is how we celebrate Virgil’s legacy and his commitment to making information accessible and collaborative. Through the Archive™, Virgil will live on as a source of inspiration and beacon of creative knowledge.”
Mahfuz Sultan, the Director of Virgil Abloh Archive™, also commented on the forthcoming Paris showcase. He said, “It’s an honor to stage two decades of Virgil’s work in Paris. This exhibition at Grand Palais is a homecoming of sorts, a love letter to the city that inspired him most and shaped so much of his practice. Virgil Abloh Archive™ carries forward V’s spirit of generosity by sharing his work, his methods, his ‘codes’ with anyone who wants to learn from and build on his ideas. This exhibition represents the first chapter.”
