Grimaldi Forum Monaco: a Summer with Christian Louboutin: Don’t Miss the Unique Exhibition(ist)

Inaugurated on July 7th by H.S.H. Prince Albert II, accompanied by His nephews and nieces and H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, Christian Louboutin, L’Exhibition[niste], Chapitre II, opened its doors to the public on Saturday, July 9th. The first highlight was the vernissage, revealed to Monaco, art and fashion lovers, journalists and personalities. 

Chapter II of this exhibition!

The major Christian Louboutin exhibition, L’Exhibition[niste], returns in a new version and is the major summer event at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco from now to August 28th, 2022. Chapter II is devoted to the work and the imagination of Christian Louboutin, shoe designer and key figure in the world of fashion, who drew many inspirations from the Principality. 

Christian Louboutin, L’Exhibition[niste], Chapitre II, is creatively redesigned by its curator Olivier Gabet, (Director of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs), and offers the public new perspectives on his work in a spectacular scenography which extends over 2000 m². It unveils unpublished works related to the Monegasque inspirations of the creator as well as new collaborations.

“When Monaco organizes exhibitions, they are spaces of freedom because of the places that host them, which can be transformed at will. At the Grimaldi Forum I saw exhibitions like Bacon and Giacometti designed completely differently, with a freedom in their conceptions and their narrations that allowed me to reimagine my exhibition without any constraint.” Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin forged a special relationship with Monaco from the 1990s, inspired from then on by the extraordinary abundance of Monegasque life, by the singular history of the Principality with artists and the entertainment world, as well as by the wealth of collections of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and the New National Museum of Monaco. Far from a classic retrospective, the itinerary of the exhibition has been conceived as a joyful odyssey through three decades of overflowing creativity, imbued with curiosity for all cultures and all arts.

Imaginary Museum 

At the heart of the exhibition, the room of the “Imaginary Museum” creates a dialogue between objects from Christian Louboutin’s personal pantheon and heritage and artistic works borrowed from public and private collections, including those of Monegasque museums. It explores various themes that run through the work of the creator such as his love of dance and the heritage of the Ballets Russes, the Pop influence of Warhol, the photographic genius of Helmut Newton and his fascination for the oceanographic universe.

Several exceptional loans of important pieces make it possible to transcribe Christian Louboutin’s passion for the performing arts with, in particular, two extraordinary works loaned for the occasion by the New National Museum of Monaco: the headdress worn by Joséphine Baker in 1974 and designed by André Levasseur, and the mounted model of the set for the ballet “Jack in the box” by Serge Diaghilev, which was produced in 1926 by the painter André Derain.

If shoes are 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 presents exclusive collaborations of Christian Louboutin with artists and fashion designers: a bespoke installation by British visual artist Allen Jones, designed in 3D especially for the Grimaldi Forum, offers visitors an immersive space. The video by New Zealand artist Lisa Reihana conceived as a walk in dreams mingles with works from Christian Louboutin’s personal collection and places dear to him. The photographer Peter Lippmann was invited by Christian Louboutin to imagine a unique staging to accommodate, at its heart, a “Versaillaise” thigh-high boot which symbolizes a chandelier based on a drawing by Christian in 2009. With this subject, unprecedented in its programming, the Grimaldi Forum offers a celebration of art through the eyes of the contemporary creator, the wise and joyful Christian Louboutin.

Useful Information

Dates: July 9 to August 28, 2022
Opening hours: open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Late Evenings: Thursdays until 10 p.m.
Location: Espace Ravel of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco – 10 avenue Princesse Grace – 98000 Monaco
Price: 11€

Free for children under 18 (ticket to be collected at the ticket office on the day of the visit)

Guided tours: €9 every Thursday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., subject to availability (maximum 25 people).

Reduced prices: daily SNCF ticket: €9 – disabled/handicapped: €5.5 – Group of 10 people: €9 (prices available only at the counter).

Accessibility: exhibition accessible to people with disabilities and with reduced mobility.