Photo by OJ Slaughter
(Boston, MA—April 13, 2021) In advance of the highly anticipated summer exhibition Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech,” the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA) will release an exclusive Virgil Abloh sweatshirt on April 27, offering a first look at a new line of designs created by Abloh only for the ICA. Abloh’s hooded sweatshirt in custom green features graphic prints overlaid with the artwork Efflorescence (2019), which is included in the exhibition. The sweatshirt will be released for sale to ICA members only on the ICA Store website and will be available April 27–29 as supplies last. The April presale will be accessible to ICA members at the Friend level and above on April 27, Associate level and above on April 28, and all members on April 29. Please note that supplies are limited. For more details about the presale and ICA membership, please visit icaboston.org.
Virgil Abloh’s full line of designs for the ICA will be available online and at the artist’s pop-up store “Church & State” beginning July 3, to celebrate the public opening of the exhibition. ICA Members will receive early access starting June 30. All purchases support the ICA’s artistic and educational programs.
“Church & State” will feature a variety of products designed by Abloh, including a line of exhibition-specific apparel, as well as limited-edition pieces from Abloh’s Off-White™ brand produced exclusively for the ICA. Abloh and Samir Bantal, Director of AMO, the research and design studio of renowned architecture firm OMA, have completely reimagined the concept and design of the store for the ICA, transforming the museum’s Bank of America Art Lab on the first floor. “Church & State” is an extension of Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” and is included with general museum admission.
Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” is the first museum exhibition devoted to the work of the multidisciplinary artist and designer Virgil Abloh (b. 1980, Rockford, IL). Abloh pioneers a practice that cuts across media and connects visual artists, musicians, graphic designers, fashion designers, and architects. Abloh cultivated an interest in design and music at an early age, finding inspiration in the urban culture of Chicago. While pursuing a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, he worked on album covers, concert designs, and merchandising. In 2013, Abloh founded his stand-alone fashion brand Off-White™ in Milan, Italy, and, in 2018, assumed the position of artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and set in an immersive space designed by Rem Koolhaas’s renowned architecture firm OMA*AMO, the exhibition will offer an in-depth look at defining highlights of Abloh’s career, including signature clothing collections, video documentation of iconic fashion shows, distinctive furniture and graphic design work, and collaborative projects with contemporary artists. A program of cross-disciplinary offerings will mirror the artist’s range of interests across music and design.
Since its founding in 1936, the ICA has shared the pleasures of reflection, inspiration, imagination, and provocation that contemporary art offers with its audiences. A museum at the intersection of contemporary art and civic life, the ICA has advanced a bold vision for amplifying the artist’s voice and expanding the museum’s role as educator, incubator, and convener. Its exhibitions, performances, and educational programs provide access to the breadth and diversity of contemporary art, artists, and the creative process, inviting audiences of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the excitement of new art and ideas. The ICA is located at 25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston, MA, 02210. The Watershed is located at 256 Marginal Street, East Boston, MA 02128. For more information, call 617-478-3100 or visit our website at icaboston.org. Follow the ICA at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” is organized by Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The exhibition tour is made possible by Kenneth C. Griffin.
The exhibition is curated by Michael Darling, former James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator at MCA Chicago, and is designed by Samir Bantal, Director of AMO, the research and design studio of OMA. The ICA’s presentation is coordinated by Ruth Erickson, Mannion Family Curator.
Major support for the Boston presentation of Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech” is provided by Encore Boston Harbor and Boston Seaport by WS Development.
Support is provided by Northern Trust.
Neiman Marcus is the Lead Education Partner of Teen Programs associated with Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech.”
Additional support is generously provided by Kathleen McDonough and Edward Berman, Kate and Chuck Brizius, Stephanie and John Connaughton, Karen Swett Conway and Brian Conway, Jean-François and Nathalie Ducrest, Audrey and James Foster, Jodi and Hal Hess,Marina Kalb and David Feinberg, Kristen and Kent Lucken, and Mark and Marie Schwartz.
