Virgil Abloh's legacy is heading back to New York City. Virgil Abloh: The Codes will open at The Shed in Hudson Yards on December 10th.
The exhibition will run through January 18th, 2027. General tickets go on sale on October 23rd, starting at $25. The show is a joint project between the Virgil Abloh Archive and Nike. It features nearly 1,000 objects pulled from an archive of more than 20,000.
Visitors will see finished work next to sketches, prototypes, and other pieces that show how Virgil thought. The exhibition covers fashion, footwear, art, architecture, graphic design, and music.
Overall, it sounds like a deep look at his process, not just a greatest hits show. One highlight is a working recreation of his Paris office, which includes a computer full of raw design files.
There is also an exclusive merch collection for the gallery. It was curated by Justin Saunders, the founder of JJJJound.
The exhibition was curated by Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan. It first appeared at the Grand Palais in Paris last fall. This New York version is a streamlined take on that original show, with the same focus on Virgil's ideas and collaborators.
Virgil Abloh's The Codes NYC
November 28th marks five years since Virgil passed away, and the exhibition opens just a couple of weeks later. It is not the first big Virgil show in New York. In 2022, the Brooklyn Museum hosted "Figures of Speech," the first major museum survey of his work.
Since then, the archive has kept his work alive through new projects. Sneaker fans have seen several V.A.A. releases, and more could be on the way.
One report points to an orange sample that could appear at the event. Nothing has been confirmed, but it would be a fun surprise.
Virgil changed sneaker culture in a big way. "The Ten" with Nike is still one of the most important collections ever made. For New Yorkers, this is a great chance to see his work up close. Presale information is available through The Shed's website.
