Virgil Abloh c/o Vitra | Art Basel
The latest collaboration by Vitra features none other than Virgil Abloh, the 38-year-old architect, DJ, engineer, university lecturer, artist, entrepreneur and artistic director at Louis Vuitton. Vitra is presenting the installation TWENTYTHIRTYFlVE on 12 June 2019 in the Fire Station on the Vitra Campus. At the same time, three products developed by the American architect, artist and designer will be launched in a limited edition as an exhibition spin-off. The collection speaks volumes with the signature bright orange colours and the timeless shapes that take us back to our teen years, but in a futuristic setting. The story behind the collection really links with the overall design feel of the project.
“His aim is to share knowledge with others. He does this in a way that is easily understood, appealing and highly accessible”, says Nora Fehlbaum, Vitra CEO. Her motivation for the collaboration was Abloh’s open approach to art and furniture classics, which appeals to the younger audience to create new excitement distanced from the elite circle.
“2035 is not that far into the future, but it still lies ahead. Our world will be a different place by then. And as a
design community, we should be thinking about that in the larger sphere of what we're doing.”
Virgil Abloh
The collection speaks volumes with the signature bright orange colours as seen in Virgil Abloh’s recent Louis Vuitton collections. The Vitra collection features timeless shapes that have been given a futuristic spin that remind us about our teen years and it is all very déjà vu. Below we unveil pricing details and more of the range of products dropping exclusively in Europe first and later in the US.
Ceramic Block
In the installation TWENTYTHlRTYFlVE, the visitor's gaze is directed to the future with a wall of consecutively numbered bright orange bricks: the Ceramic Blocks. These glazed ceramic objects are not just a structural element but also take on a life of their own as storage objects in Virgil Abloh’s concept. The limited exhibition edition comprises 999 Ceramic Blocks, each with a noticeable numeral that makes it unique. The Ceramic Blocks can be purchased during the exhibition: the removal of an individual block changes the installation, simultaneously modifying Virgil Abloh's vision of Tomorrow. (Price: 149 € incl. VAT)
Petite Potence
Jean Prouvé created the Potence wall lamp for his home in Nancy in 1942, and the design was soon produced in a range of sizes. Virgil Abloh is fascinated by the industrial clarity of this concept and has integrated the smaller Petite Potence in his installation TWENTYTHIRTYFIVE, He has accentuated the ‘industrial DNA' of the design with an orange lacquer finish that gives it a new visibility, while a striking LED bulb in an oblong cage further enhances the appearance. Virgil Abloh's version of Petite Potence is available in a limited and numbered edition of 300 pieces. (1489 € incl. VAT)
Antony
The armchair Antony was developed by Jean Prouvé in the early 1950s for the university halls of residence in Antony near Paris. With its dynamically curved wooden shell and characteristic metal base, this small armchair was one of the French designer's last furniture creations. Virgil Abloh pays tribute to the iconic design with an updated version in his installation TWENTYTHIRTYFIVE. He has transformed the armchair by giving it a plexiglass shell that reveals the supporting metal structure, which is further accentuated by a bright orange lacquer finish. This version is available in a numbered exhibition spin-off limited to 100 pieces. (2489 € incl. VAT)
The items are dropping in Europe at www.vitra.com/va on the 12th of June at 8PM.
The installation TWENTYTHIRTYFIVE will be accessible to the public from 13 June to 31 July in the Fire Station on the Vitra Campus.
Opening hours during Art Basel, 13 to 16 June 2019, are from 10 am to 10 pm.
Opening hours from 17 June to 31 July are from 10 am to 6 pm.
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