Grand Palais to host exhibition dedicated to the work of Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh: The Codes, the first major European exhibition dedicated to the work of Virgil Abloh (1980 - 2021), will be presented at the Grand Palais from September 30 (his birthday) to October 10, 2025.

The exhibition will explore nearly two decades of Abloh’s multidisciplinary output through 20,000 archive items. It brings together hundreds of objects, prototypes, sketches and images from Abloh’s career, as well as pieces from his personal collections and library.

The Codes also highlights Abloh’s collaborations with several artists, designers and athletes.

“This exhibition is just the beginning of our work to share Virgil’s legacy and principles with the creative community and the world,” Shannon Abloh, the late designer’s wife and also chief executive officer of Virgil Abloh Securities, founder and chairwoman of the board of the Virgil Abloh Foundation, and president of Virgil Abloh Archive, said in a statement.

Abloh continued: “Sharing his personal collection, unfinished projects and magnum opuses with the public is a monumental way to celebrate Virgil’s legacy and his commitment to making information accessible and collaborative. Through the Archive, Virgil will remain a source of inspiration and a beacon of creative knowledge.”

Curated by Chloé Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan, the exhibition is an expanded edition of the 2022 exhibition Virgil Abloh: The Codes. It traces how his signature design principles – his “codes” – are found in his work across garments, footwear, architecture, music, advertising and more, unifying a practice that spans multiple disciplines.