Polymath designer Virgil Abloh's 12 Figures of Speech exhibition has opened at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition was designed by Samir Bantal, director of AMO, the research and design arm of Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).
The exhibition highlights Illinois Institute of Technology-trained designer's relentlessly inventive creative efforts, enterprises that include works of fashion, painting, sculpture, and furniture design. A mix of high- and low-culture, found and bespoke objects, the exhibition presents a multi-faceted vision into Abloh's creative process and output.
One gallery, for example, contains frameless photographic prints depicting Abloh's couture designs. There, matte black walls and a domed ceiling frame images that touch on elements of racial politics in fashion and art, including a painting that alludes to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and a sculpture depicting a mock police crime scene.
Another room, labeled with a neon sign that reads "You're obviously in the wrong place," is filled with 3D-printed models wearing Abloh's streetwear designs.
Nearby, a classical temple front printed on silk cloth is draped over a canvas, while a monolithic black billboard exists as a blank canvas, marked simply along its back by teal and grey graffiti.
A smaller gallery is filled with an arrangement made up of Abloh's furniture designs for IKEA, elements that are stacked helter skelter on a pile of rugs created by the artist that feature Abloh's trademark deadpan quotations.
The exhibition is on view at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art through September 22nd.
2 Comments
Hyperbole much?
I'm sure Virigil is good at something, but based on these images it's not art or design.
This is among other things a demonstaration of overrated architects taking themselves far too seriously. I refer you to the thread Art vs Architecture.
Miles, I'm confused by your comment. While Abloh did study architecture, his work has almost exclusively been in design, fashion, and art. You may not like his work, but your diagnosis "overrated architects taking themselves far too seriously" doesn't really fit here. Unless I'm misunderstanding you.
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