Louis Vuitton Visionary Journeys Seoul

About the exhibition

This is a heritage exhibition rather than an art show: Louis Vuitton's own story, told in 12 rooms with more than 200 pieces. Visit Seoul describes a route from the fifth floor down to the fourth that starts with trunk-making in 1854 and moves through the origin of the Monogram, the artisans' workshop, the evolution of the house's best-known bags, and collaborations in art, design, music and fashion.

The scenography is the main draw. Louis Vuitton says it was designed with Shohei Shigematsu of OMA. One room is a long curved gallery whose walls and ceiling are lined with framed archive material above a row of old trunks.

The building, LV The Place Seoul in Shinsegae The Reserve, also holds a Louis Vuitton store, Le Café Louis Vuitton and the restaurant JP, so the setting is plainly commercial. Entry to the exhibition is free but must be booked in advance; the official booking site accepts an email address, so a Korean phone number is not needed. Weekday docent tours run at 14:30 and 17:30, and the audio guide is narrated by the actress Jun Ji-hyun.