SoCultures Magazine 2018 Vol 1 | Page 55

SoCultures October 2018
initiatives, as well as humanitarian actions. We very early began exploring the idea
of a foundation, an institution that would tangibly express our commitment to art
and culture. We have never wavered from this course and now, in the autumn of
2014, we have sailed to our destination, making this dream a reality.
Following fruitful collaborations in the 1980s with artists such as Sol Le Witt,
César and Olivier Debré, Louis Vuitton initiated a stimulating dialogue between
the visual arts and the brand’s own creativity. Bob Wilson, Olafur Eliasson, and
Ugo Rondinone decorated Christmas display windows, while Marc Jacobs asked
Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, and Yayoi Kusama to work
directly on creations for Louis Vuitton. The result was a fresh and vibrant new
vision of Louis Vuitton.
LVMH’s many years of corporate patronage and Louis Vuitton’s collaborations
with artists resonate powerfully with my personal passion for artistic creation. This
passion is what fueled my decision to build the Foundation Louis Vuitton, bringing
Paris a place that not only pays tribute to artists, but at the same time inspires them
in a virtuous circle of creativity.
Frank Gehry is one of the greatest architects of our times, and I knew he would
meet the challenge of designing an amazing monument of 21st century
architecture.
Photo officielleCPjuin_clairiere_IB FOG 2917.jpg© Iwan Baan / Fondation Louis Vuitton
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