CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN EXHIBITION - "L'EXHIBITION[NISTE]"

9 JULY - 28 AUGUST 2022

The next major summer event of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco will be devoted to the work and imagination of Christian Louboutin, shoe designer and key figure in the fashion world, who has drawn many inspirations from the Principality.

Christian Louboutin, L'Exhibition[niste], redesigned by its curator Olivier Gabet, (Director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs), will offer the public a new perspective, after a first exhibition at the Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris in 2020.

The scenography in preparation for Monaco will extend over 2000 m² and will unveil new ones related to the Monegasque inspirations of the creator as well as new collaborations, including an exceptional project being developed with the British visual artist Allen Jones.

Far from a classic retrospective, the exhibition's journey was conceived as a joyful odyssey through three decades of abundant creativity, imbued with curiosity for all cultures and all the arts.

At the heart of the exhibition, the room of the "Imaginary Museum" will bring together objects from Christian Louboutin's personal pantheon and heritage and artistic works borrowed from public and private collections, part of which will come from Monegasque museum collections. It will explore various themes that run through the creator's work such as his love of dance and the legacy of the Ballets Russes, his passion for African art and Asia, the Pop influence of Warhol, the photographic genius of Helmut Newton and his fascination for the oceanographic universe.

If the shoes will be in the spotlight, with a selection of exceptional pieces including some unique models, the designer especially wanted to pay tribute to those who inspire him and make him dream. 

The exhibition will present exclusive collaborations by Christian Louboutin such as the stained glass windows made by the Maison du Vitrail, a Sevillian silver palanquin or a sculpted theatre in Bhutan. Visitors will also be able to discover different projects of the creator with artists such as the photographs of the director David Lynch, the video work of Lisa Reihana, the leather sculptures of the English designers Whitaker Malem, the choreographies of Blanca Li, the work of the visual artist Imran Qureshi, as well as an immersive space dedicated to the sculptor and painter Allen Jones created especially with him for this exhibition.

With this subject, unprecedented in its programming, the Grimaldi Forum offers a celebration of art through the eyes of a contemporary creator, the wise and joyful Christian Louboutin. 

From July 9 to August 28, 2022
open daily from 10:00 to 20:00
NOCTURNES: Tuesdays and Thursdays until 10pm

Exhibition accessible to people with motor disabilities and reduced mobility.