Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech (Special Edition)

Product Information

Abloh’s practice is similarly multidisciplinary, bridging music, street culture, and media with fashion, art, and design. In addition to his many other talents, Abloh is a DJ. In the past year, he’s performed all over Europe, at Oasis Festival in Marrakech, Potato Head Beach Club in Bali, and closer to home in Chicago, Detroit, Brooklyn, and at Coachella in the California desert. He’s also done sets at Art Basel Miami Beach. This element of his resume made it into the exhibition, too. Recently, Mr. Abloh has launched an organic platform for widespread access to information and mentorship through his Post Modern Initiative with the aim of the betterment of all- access knowledge.

Set in an immersive space designed by Samir Bantal, the Director of AMO, the research studio of Rem Koolhaas’s renowned architectural firm OMA, the MCA exhibition will offer an in-depth look at defining highlights of Abloh’s career including a program of cross-disciplinary offerings that will mirror the artist’s range of interests across music, fashion, architecture, and design. RENé HUBERT: THE MAN WHO DRESSED FILMSTARS AND AIRPLANES LARS MüLLER PUBLISHERS ISBN: 9783037787007 It’s clear that Virgil’s focus on materiality was important to him while offering modes of accessibility in anything he touches. When I was talking to Ben from Braun about the wall mount sound system, he mentioned that Virgil had rule of adding just 3% to something — to show off the beauty of the original design and letting it be celebrated as is. Writing for The New York Times, Jon Caramanica calls the display “one of the show’s most convincing arrangements.” He continues: “On the left is Mr. Abloh’s D.J. setup—austerely beautiful wooden speakers (by Devon Turnbull), glimmering CD turntables (by Pioneer DJ)—presented as a shrine. And hanging on the wall to the right is a cease and desist letter from the United Nations chiding Mr. Abloh for using its logo on fliers for D.J. gigs.”

Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” is organized by Michael Darling, former James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The Brooklyn Museum presentation is organized by writer and curator Antwaun Sargent. Though the exhibition is divided conceptually between Abloh's work in design, fashion and architecture, many of the objects are arrayed together.

Preview our Fall 2023 catalog, featuring more than 500 new books on art, photography, design, architecture, film, music and visual culture. Abloh] builds around some of the fundamental aspects of the design aspects of the museum to incorporate thoughtfully into the exhibition itself," said Sargent. Tables designed by Abloh showcase his fashion and design work in conversation For me, ‘Figures of Speech’ is an art exhibition rooted in advertising and ‘the projected image.’ Any time an idea takes shape on a particular surface—a photo print, a screen, a billboard, or canvas—it becomes real,” Abloh said in a statement.

About the Exhibition

In the Phillips conversation, Darling said other museums were initially hesitant to get on board. “…They had a really hard time understanding what this would be, didn’t know exactly who he was,” he said. THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO is presenting the first museum exhibition dedicated to Virgil Abloh. The fast-rising designer and inveterate collaborator is the head of menswear design at Louis Vuitton and founder of the “streetwear” label Off-White. A traveling survey spanning two decades, “Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech” explores the products, partnerships, and creative processes of the artist, architect, and designer. Generous hotel partner for Virgil Abloh: "Figures of Speech" is Aloft Mag Mile. Additional Links event Taken together, Figures of Speech works as a holistic retrospective of Abloh's creative work. However, Sargent said that the Brooklyn Museum's show should be considered the last living work by Abloh, who passed away from a rare heart cancer in 2021.