This Spring on 4 April, Louis Vuitton’s 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition will arrive. Making its first international stop here in sunny Singapore, and following the debut in Asnières at the Maison’s Paris home, the exhibition will be travelling to Beijing, Tokyo, New York and London throughout 2022.
The innovative LV200 project was initially conceptualised in celebration of Louis Vuitton’s bicentennial birthday. As a tribute to the acclaimed founder, the exhibition features 200 imaginative trunks realised by 200 visionaries.
Marking the milestone birthday of 4 August, a mixture of talents and friends of the Maison were invited to personalise the emblematic trunk — including those from sectors of arts and culture, the sciences, sports, global causes and more. The result is a delectable array of vessels “transmitting dreams and desires, abstract concepts and artistic expressions”. Among the selects are familiar names and renowned brands likes BTS, Supreme, Hypebeast, Lego, Liu Wei, Peter Marino, Cao Fei and Fornasetti.
Each visionary started with a metaphorical blank canvas measuring 50 x 50 x 100 centimetres, approximate dimensions of the original trunk conceived by the eponymous founder in the 1850s. According to Louis Vuitton’s Visual Image Director Faye McLeod, the LV200 project “has always been about creativity, a real tribute to Louis’ ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. We get to see how such a cross-section of talents answered the same brief while also taking a moment to appreciate the man himself.”
Purely a philanthropic venture as well, the artists also focused on uplifting young people through their creative endeavours and raised a total of €2 million for 15 NGOs across 13 countries. Additionally, towards the end of the travelling exhibition, all 200 trunks and derivatives will be auctioned off in December 2022 by Sotheby’s. Likewise, the proceeds will go to a scholarship program that bridges inequality gaps with the goal of ensuring access to artistic studies and skills development.
In Singapore
The inspired homage will be placed at Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza, adjacent to one of the four Louis Vuitton stores in Singapore. Admirers can expect to “experience an ephemeral presentation space and discover the creations up close”.
The experience starts in a room panelled with LED screens. The main space recalls a warehouse where original art pieces are juxtaposed ‘Magic Trunks’ on the screen and a robot-trunk, Monsieur Louis himself — symbolic of a futuristic transfiguration of object and creator. In keeping with the Maison’s circular creativity efforts, the trunks are stacked randomly atop their assigned shipping crates where they will continue their global journey in.
Then, visitors will enter an open dreamscape panorama before ending with two dedicated rooms. First, an immersive area featuring BTS’s trunk where each member contributed to one side. For more interactivity, the designs have been reproduced on the walls for visitors to add their own spin to the iconic trunk. Finally, an audio speakeasy featuring a functioning 200-track jukebox trunk by British DJ and producer Benji B. After, visitors can choose to stay in a lifestyle space where video interviews and books are available to explore.
The 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries exhibition launches from on 4 April and will be open till 27 April 2022. The exhibition is open to the public and visitors can register their interest at ap.louisvuitton.com from 1 April 2022.
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