The Grand Palais stages “Virgil Abloh: The Codes,” drawing on a 20,000-piece archive curated by Chloe and Mahfuz Sultan.
Paris’s Grand Palais will host “Virgil Abloh: The Codes,” Europe’s first exhibition devoted solely to the late designer’s work, from September 30 to October 10. Realized by Virgil Abloh Archive™ in partnership with Nike, the show examines nearly twenty years of creative output through a 20,000-object archive.
Curators Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan bring together prototypes, sketches, personal collections, and Abloh’s reference library, presenting them alongside collaborations with artists, designers, and athletes.
“This exhibit is just the beginning of our work to share Virgil’s legacy and principles with the creative community and the broader world,” said Shannon Abloh, the president and chair of Virgil Abloh Archive™. “Sharing his personal collection, unfinished projects, and magnum opuses with the public is a monumental way 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.”
“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,” Mahfuz Sultan added.
Opening on what would have been Abloh’s forty-fifth birthday, the exhibition pairs unfinished projects with celebrated pieces, giving visitors direct access to the ideas that guided his career.
