Legendary Trunks — The Exhibition has opened in Amsterdam’s monumental Beurs van Berlage. This traveling exhibition takes visitors on an emotional journey into the world of historical and iconic Louis Vuitton trunks. They are witnesses of adventurous stories taking place on luxurious ocean liners, steam trains and jet planes; witnesses of writers, actresses, opera singers and world leaders’ glamorous lives. More than 200 authentic Vuitton items, dating as far back as 1850, are on display.
Jora Vision was involved from the initial design development through production and installation; with a constant art direction role throughout the whole process.
The collection, one of the biggest in the world, is privately owned by a Swedish collector. Jora Vision developed the visitors experience for Nordic Exhibitions & Events Ltd, showcasing the items as part of an immersive walk-through experience. The collection is not displayed in a classic museum manner. Instead, the stories behind these trunks come alive and are presented to the visitors as unique, immersive experiences. As a result, each major piece of this collection gets its own context and environmental narration. The result is a series of ‘hidden gems’ where visuals, light effects and sound add a whole new dimension to the decorations. An audio guide tour and digital applications unlock stories and secrets for a more intimate and tailored experience.
The collection includes pieces owned by historical figures and modern-day celebrities, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Judy Garland, Ernest Hemingway, and Tommy Hilfiger. Visitors get a glimpse of Hemingway’s traveling lifestyle, of Lily Pons’s wardrobe, and of how a trunk can tell a family story interrupted by the sinking of the Titanic. Eccentric pieces including a doll case and several jewelry cases provide a glimpse into unusual lifestyles of the past.
After the first stop in Amsterdam, the exhibition will be traveling across Europe first and then move on to the US and Asia in the coming years. Due to the traveling nature of the exhibition, particular attention has been paid during the design development and production phase to the way each display had to be built: all decorations are made up of modular components that can be easily assembled and disassembled.
Legendary Trunks — the Exhibition premiered December 6 and will be open until February 18 2018.
