The cabinet of curiosities of Christian Louboutin – Pages Monaco
Iconic shoemaker Christian Louboutin is opening the second chapter of his illuminated exhibition at the Palais de la Porte Dorée in Paris in 2020 in Monaco.
In this second part, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, the creator seeks to offer a “poetic experience that oscillates between the ordinary and the extraordinary”. This retrospective covers more than thirty decades of career through a spectacular scenography.
Retrospective? “To the word ‘retrospective’ I prefer that of ‘celebration’, which is part of the present, the past, but also in the future, with its share of surprises that I look forward to”.
Playing on the same eclecticism as the first Parisian chapter, unfortunately penalized by confinements and closures, the creator has developed the modularity of the Grimaldi Forum to reimagine his exhibition by giving it a more current resonance.
Inspirations, collaborations and creations dialogue on its 2000 m2 of surface, transcribing the universe of this insatiable traveler and collector that is Christian Louboutin.
A veritable cabinet of curiosities, the exhibition mixed genres in the spirit of openness that characterizes the Parisian designer who celebrated his 59th birthday in January. There, he will create a dialogue without complex between the intricate shapes of the shells inventoried on scientific boards, with those, innovative and baroque of his shoes. In this same pop spirit, a voluptuous red lacquered wooden bench designed by Oscar Niemeyer nods to the famous red sole, which has become the designer’s signature.
Once again, in “Chapter II, Exhibition(ist)”, Christian Louboutin opens the doors of his imagination: his travels, his encounters and his inspirations that have fueled his creation. Popular art and scenic art will thus find a place of choice within the exhibition, from a costume designed by fashion designer Thierry Mugler for a performance of The Tragedy of Macbeth in 1985 at the Festival d’Avignon in a headdress worn by Joséphine Baker during the Joséphine show in 1974, two testimonies of the shoemaker’s love for dance, theater and cinema.
The retrospective also features exclusive collaborations: New Zealand artist Lisa Reihana will take us to the land of songs through a mysterious video, while British pop art icon Allen Jones will imagine a bespoke piece for the occasion.
The beating heart of the exhibition, the video work will bring to life his famous female sculptures that have been immobile for more than forty years, five examples of which will also be presented, thanks to motion design and 3D: a warrior will come to life on a screen eleven meters, in metallic armor.
With this cabinet of curiosities, Christian Louboutin will open the doors to his universe and his inspirations, bringing together both the works of his friends and his own creations. His presence in Monaco resonates as a tribute to Princess Caroline, who was one of his first clients and whom he likes to call “his good fairy”, but also to the Monegasque culture with which he has since forged intimate ties. .