Christian Louboutin: L’Exhibition[niste] at the Palais de la Porte Dorée is an unprecedented exhibition that explores every facet of the revered designer’s multi referential work. Born in the 12th district of Paris, close to the Palais de la Porte Dorée, Christian Louboutin was fascinated from an early age by the architectural beauty and ornamental richness of the institution, which was one of the earliest influences feeding his love of art and applied arts. It was also at the Palais, a masterpiece of Art-deco, that Christian Louboutin, then a young adolescent, noticed a sign forbidding visitors to wear high heeled shoes.
This sign subsequently inspired the iconic Pigalle shoe which he has since reinvented time and time again. Inviting audiences to experience and understand Christian Louboutin’s universe and creative processes, the exhibition showcases the designer’s vision through a series of 11 chapters dedicated to key inspirations as well as a selection of significant artworks from his personal collection and loans from public collections. A large selection of his finest creations from shoes to sketches are displayed, many of which have never been exhibited before.
These historic and artistic pieces are shown alongside several exclusive collaborations which pay tribute to Christian Louboutin’s admiration for the skills of craftsmen. These collaborations include stained glass panels created by the Maison du Vitrail, a world-renowned specialist in stained glass, a Sevillian silver palanquin made by L’Orfebreria Villarreal and a theater sculpted in Bhutan. The exhibition also features new pieces, especially created by artists who are particularly important to the designer: the New Zealand multimedia artist Lisa Reihana, the Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, the British designer duo Whitaker Malem and the Spanish choreographer Blanca Li, as well as past collaborations with artists including the director and photographer David Lynch. The final section of the exhibition presents the «Imaginary Museum» – a stroll through the Christian Louboutin’s sources of inspiration and reference. The «imaginary museum» also connects the exhibition to the history of the Palais itself featuring an eclectic selection of pieces ranging from blue and white Wedgwood porcelain to an Oscar Niemeyer Marquesa chaise.
The exhibition will be open till 3rd January, 2021.
