Louis Vuitton is bringing seven years of artistic experimentation to Art Basel Paris with a retrospective dedicated to Artycapucines, its ongoing project that invites contemporary artists to reinterpret the House’s signature Capucines handbag. Presented at the Grand Palais from October 23 to 25, the exhibition brings together 14 artists, their original works and the bags inspired by them, tracing the project’s evolution since its debut in 2019.
The presentation unfolds on the Balcon d’Honneur, where a scenography inspired by archival storage and fine-art transport draws on Louis Vuitton’s origins as a trunk-maker. Open crates, brushed-aluminium structures and cotton-canvas forms frame the bags alongside the artworks that informed them, placing the project’s relationship between art, design and craftsmanship at the centre of the exhibition.
Over seven years, Artycapucines has given artists the opportunity to translate their individual practices into leather goods. The results range from painterly compositions and layered textiles to sculptural forms and intricate handwork. Alex Israel’s vibrant, fin-inspired design, Liza Lou’s intricate beaded surface and Kennedy Yanko’s expressive, sculptural interpretation demonstrate how the Capucines’ familiar silhouette can become a starting point for very different artistic approaches.
The retrospective also revisits collaborations with some of the House’s longstanding creative partners. Takashi Murakami’s graphic visual language, Yayoi Kusama’s distinctive motifs and Frank Gehry’s fluid, sculptural forms each reflect a different approach to the relationship between art and design. Their works appear alongside the corresponding leather goods, allowing visitors to consider the connections between the artists’ original practices and their interpretations of the bag.
A new Artycapucines collection dedicated to Keith Haring adds another chapter to the project. Known for his energetic figures, dancing silhouettes and graphic symbols, Haring lends his visual language to a series of bags that translate his instantly recognisable imagery into Louis Vuitton’s leather goods. The collection is presented alongside a Louis Vuitton suitcase from the 1930s that Haring signed in the 1980s, connecting the new designs to the House’s longer history with art and travel.
Louis Vuitton’s relationship with artists extends back more than a century, from its early collaboration with Pierre Legrain in 1920 to its ongoing partnerships across contemporary art and design. At Art Basel Paris, Artycapucines brings that history into focus through a collection of objects that sit between fashion and art, offering a closer look at what happens when an established handbag design becomes a platform for individual artistic expression.