The Louis Vuitton “200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries” exhibition opened at the old Barney’s location in New York City and it was truly one for the books. Louis Vuitton was celebrating 200 years of art and craftsmanship using its iconic product the steamer trunk. In the mid-1800s Mr.Vuitton revolutionized the locking system on his steamer trunks and debuted his design. The box shape of the trunk allowed it to be stackable making it convenient for travelers to bring their belongings onto steamboats. Fast forward to now, the brand has grown tremendously and has crafted trunks for the royal family and people around the globe.
When I first walk in, Louis Vuitton staff is there to greet and guide me to the beginning of the exhibition. I make my way down a long black corridor that leads into the first room. The Louis Vuitton name circles the room in bright bold letters. In the center of it is a huge digital trunk that displays different images. This was the start of something magical and I quickly began to explore each room. I felt like Alice in Wonderland because each room you enter gives off a unique experience and perspective.
Louis Vuitton: 200 Trunks Exhibit
When I go into the second room, I see walls and a trunk full of collage art. Artist Francesa Sorrenti used images to depict people and famous french monuments giving the audience a theme of travel. Well-known landmarks such as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower are seen throughout the work. I really liked how the images were colorful and overlapped well with each other to create a cohesive message.
In the third room, many trunks incorporated technology. Artist Jean Lariviere used holographic images to display a Surrealism art theme. Another trunk that used technology was the save the oceans one (below). Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau had images of water broadcasted all around the screens with a wooden crate encapsulating the trunk. Many of the trunks also use unconventional materials and textures to convey a message. Several use textiles while others use glass-making techniques to build out their vision.
Artist Robert Moy created the multi-color balloon trunk (below) that looks glass-like by coating the balloons in epoxy resin. The bright red trunk (above) is also encased inside a giant glass bottle which portrays to me a nautical theme. I think about travel and how a sailor would put letters in these glass bottles at sea. British magician Steven Frayne did a great job of tying in his background of magic into the art piece.
Trunks and Residency Room
Then in the next room, Louis Vuitton showcases the work of french inventor Franky Zapata. He created a trunk that could fly in the air like a drone. I was amazed at the innovation of this one and how he worked to get a heavy object like a trunk to hover in mid-air. Another favorite of mine was the sheep trunk (above), I loved how visual artist Kate Daudy used cotton balls and black wire to show a flock of sheep with the big one showing the Louis Vuitton name.
Artist Showcasing
Traveling through the other rooms I saw how artists used watercolor, and oil paints to create works of art. I like how each piece provokes you to think outside the box and communicates an idea. This demonstrates how each artist can take a singular product like the trunk and transform it into their own vision of art. A great example of this is the “Tea Party ” (below) trunk created by architect Frank Gehry. The image takes a scene out of a fairytale and recreates it using wooden blocks, poker cards, and printed characters.
After walking through the exhibition, I came down to the residency room where Louis Vuitton had tables set up for people to decorate their own trunks. I grabbed a white cardboard box, glue, paper, and markers to start creating my own mini trunk. I glued some pink paper all around the box and wrote on the top LV and Aleah with a heart in the middle. It was refreshing getting the chance to sit down with others to create our trunks and talk about our experience seeing all the amazing artwork.
The Louis Vuitton Trunk Exhibit is one of many NYC-based fashion events I’ve attended. You can also read about my “Nike x The Cut NYFW” experience.
