15 May 2019

The museological book of the exhibition 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech', MCA Chicago (10 Jun - 22 Sept)

Virgil Abloh seems to be everywhere when it comes to lifestyle, music, architecture, furniture or fashion in our days. But only few people have the chance to visit running and upcoming exhibitions showcasing works of the designer. Since 8 May on occasion of Biennale Arte Venice, an art-furniture installation created by Virgil Abloh with the title 'Acqua Alta', which makes aware of rising sea levels caused by climate change, is on view at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery exhibition 'Dysfunctional' at Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’d’Oro. (Images of the 'Aqua Alta' installation are published by designboom.com.)

The next exhibition where Virgil Abloh's work will be presented is 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech', on view from 10 June until 22 September at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago. This time, Virgil Abloh himself is the theme of the exhibition which throws light on the special talent of the 1980 in US to Ghanaian immigrants born and strongly to Chicago connected architect, designer, artist and DJ. 'Figures of Speech' is a very extensive exhibition spanning over around twenty years of activity from early streetwear to Off-White and Louis Vuitton collections, collaborations with musicians like Kanye West or brands such as Ikea. 'Figures of Speech' showcases Virgil Abloh's ability to communicate through design objects political, social or climate related topics.

Fashion.at previewed the 500-page museological book - defined as book which catalogues the works in the exhibition 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech', published by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and DelMonico Books-Prestel. The book is structured in three chapters: Museum, Index and Archives.

fig.: MCA Book Design March 12, 2019 "PERSONAL COPY" Louis Vuitton HQ, Paris, France. Photo: Hanna García Fleer.

MCA Chief Curator Michael Darling writes at an article at the 1st chapter about Virgil Abloh's life and work - collaborations, founding of the own label Off-White, creations for Louis Vuitton, or inspirations through architects like Rem Koolhaas or artists such as Duchamp or Caravaggio, that Abloh "... considers this publication and exhibition as a guidebook for any young person to act on their enthusiasms and ambitions to become an agent for change."

Browsing through the catalogue's chapter 'Archives' is like getting insights into a personal work diary; actually, the images are from Virgil Abloh's private archives (from every computer, phone, external drive he has owned since 2008). Work drawings for clothing, shoes and bags, semiotic analysis graphs of men's wear, furniture construction plans, snapshots showing Virgil Abloh at work,... are published in chronological order under 'Era'-sections such as '2012 A$AP Rocky' (about the music video 'Fashion Killa' co-directed by Virgil Abloh), '2017 Pioneer Music Sound System' (creation of an artisanal edition with transparent surfaces providing views on the technics underneath), or '2017 Jenny Holzer' (collaboration for fashion pieces with political messages concerning an open-minded society).

The most lively text at the book is published at the article with excerpts of a conversation between the architects Rem Koolhaas and Samir Banta with Virgil Abloh which ends with Abloh's words: "Sitting next to someone with an opinion can create a new opinion for both, and that's what fashion, art, architecture - these hallowed layers, the last to conform - need: to just be open-minded."

It's announced that the exhibition 'Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech' will be shown after MCA Chicago at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta (9 November 2019 - 8 March 2020), ICA Boston (July - September 2020), and Brooklyn Museum, New York (Winter 2020 to Spring 2021).

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