Doha: On November 5, 2021, Qatar Museums (QM) – Qatari’s premier institution for art and culture – will present a mid-career retrospective of renowned American artist and designer Virgil Abloh at the Garage Gallery in the fire station.

The first museum exhibition of his work to be presented in the Middle East, Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech will be on view until March 31, 2022. With more than 55 works, the exhibition will offer an in-depth look at the various pioneers of Abloh. media practice that ranges from visual arts to music, fashion, architecture and design.

Figures of Speech is curated by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, adapted for this presentation by Qatar Museums, and designed by and in collaboration with AMO. It is part of the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture program, an annual international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their peoples.

Virgil Abloh

HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, President of Qatar Museums, said: “We believe the people of Qatar and the Gulf will be captivated by this introduction to the visionary and barrier-defying work of artist and designer Virgil Abloh . We’re especially excited that Figures of Speech opens at our week-long event, Qatar Creates: Fashion and Design, which will bring together creative professionals from around the world to celebrate our local and regional talents. With both the exhibition and the event, Qatar Museums continues its commitment to nurture artistic talent, open up career opportunities and provide inspiration to our audience.

Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Acting Deputy Managing Director of Exhibitions & Marketing, said: “We look forward to presenting Figures of Speech, which will chronicle Virgil Abloh’s inventive practice and his many accomplishments. This special exhibition, combined with an extensive program of workshops and lectures that we have planned to complement it, is sure to inspire and engage our audience.

Virgil Abloh (American, b.1980) cultivated an early interest in design and music, inspired by Chicago’s urban culture. While pursuing a master’s degree in architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology, he met American musician Kanye West and joined West’s creative team to work on album covers, concert designs, and merchandising. In 2013, Abloh founded his standalone fashion brand Off-White in Milan, Italy, and in 2018, he took on the role of artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s men.

Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech was curated by former MCA chief curator James W. Alsdorf, Michael Darling with creative direction from Virgil Abloh, and Samir Bantal, director of AMO (the research studio of the renowned firm OMA architecture). Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech is sponsored by ExxonMobil, Qatar Airways, Astro Automotive Services, Mazaya Real Estate Development Company and Qatar-USA Year of Culture.

The exhibition is presented as part of the Qatar-U.S. Year of Culture 2021, sponsored by ExxonMobil, which was formalized in September 2020 by a cooperation agreement between the State of Qatar and the United States of America. America in the 2020 Qatar-U.S. Strategy. Dialogue in Washington, DC.

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