Nike and the Virgil Abloh Foundation present Virgil Abloh: The Codes at The Shed in New York City, bringing together nearly 1,000 objects that examine the designer’s creative methods and influence across multiple disciplines. The exhibition explores how Abloh developed ideas through fashion, footwear, architecture, art, graphic design and music, offering visitors access to the processes that shaped his work.
EXHIBITIONS
The presentation brings together finished designs, prototypes, sketches and archival materials that trace Abloh’s approach to experimentation. These objects reveal how he applied recurring principles across different creative fields, often reconsidering familiar forms and introducing unexpected references. The exhibition places particular attention on the methods he called his Codes, a collection of creative principles that guided his work across products, spaces and mediums.
Abloh’s collaboration with Nike, particularly The Ten, demonstrates how these principles translated into footwear design. His approach established recognizable visual elements that connected individual projects while allowing each creation to explore different ideas. Through archival examples, visitors can examine the thinking behind these designs and understand how Abloh developed a consistent methodology across his extensive practice.
“As we mark the fifth anniversary of Virgil’s passing, this exhibition is an opportunity to honor his tireless spirit and how he changed the way people think about creativity, collaboration and what is possible,” says Shannon Abloh, founder of the Virgil Abloh Archive and the Virgil Abloh Foundation. She also emphasizes his belief in accessible knowledge and the importance of creating opportunities for future generations.
Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan curate the New York presentation, following earlier editions of The Codes in Miami and Paris. The exhibition at The Shed brings a larger collection of objects into one space, allowing visitors to examine connections between Abloh’s projects and the creative decisions behind them.
Chloe Sultan, who also serves as Director of the Virgil Abloh Archive, describes Abloh’s work as an invitation for others to participate in creative thinking. His practice encouraged exchanges between disciplines and demonstrated how unexpected references could generate new design possibilities.
One of the exhibition’s central features recreates Abloh’s Paris office at Pont Neuf, offering insight into his working environment. A dedicated media lab also provides open access to selected raw design files. Visitors can explore the visual systems, tools and methods behind his projects, using these materials as resources for their own creative investigations.
Athiththan Selvendran, Chief Creative Officer of the Virgil Abloh Foundation and Director of the Virgil Abloh Archive, explains that the gathering of nearly 1,000 objects allows visitors to understand relationships between projects that initially appear unrelated. The exhibition presents Abloh’s methodology as a framework that continues to influence creative practice.
The program extends beyond the galleries through a retail experience co-curated by Justin Saunders, founder of JJJJound. The retail collection will feature merchandise developed in connection with the exhibition, with further details arriving in the coming weeks.
A month-long program of conversations, performances, workshops and additional events will bring together participants from different creative disciplines. Organizers will announce further programming details at a later date. Virgil Abloh: The Codes runs from December 10, 2026, through January 18, 2027, at The Shed in New York City, with tickets available to the general public starting October 23.
