Courtesy of Wim Delvoye
Conceived by Karl Lagerfeld, designed by Zaha Hadid, and commissioned by the house that Coco built to mark the 50th anniversary of an iconic handbag, the Chanel Mobile Art pavilion is a provocative synthesis of style, culture, and commerce. The roving gallery, a curving white fiberglass vessel whose fluid form was inspired by a black, quilted-leather Chanel handbag, opens in New York’s Central Park on October 20 (it debuted in Hong Kong in February and tours through 2010, with stops in London, Moscow, and Paris). Inside, visitors encounter a range of works—photography, sculptures, videos, and installation pieces—by 20 contemporary provocateurs, including French conceptual artists Daniel Buren and Sophie Calle, Swiss filmmaker Sylvie Fleury, French photographers Pierre & Gilles, Japanese video animation artist Tabaimo, and Yoko Ono. The structure can be visited though November 9; free timed-entry tickets are required for admission (chanel-mobileart.com).
