Louis Vuitton and Sotheby’s are collaborating in an auction featuring 22 unique artist-designed Louis Vuitton Artycapucines bags – each one exceptionally remade, signed and presented in a Monogram-covered Louis Vuitton hat box or Boîte Chapeau – to benefit a diverse range of charities and NGOs including UNICEF, Médecins sans Frontières and World Central Kitchen.
The ongoing Artycapucines Collection gives leading contemporary artists the opportunity to bring their unique visions to Louis Vuitton’s classic: the Capucines bag. Named after Rue Neuve-des-Capucines, the Parisian street on which Louis Vuitton opened his first store in 1854, the Capucines’ distinctive design has provided an ideal canvas for the creativity of 24 international artists in the four annual Artycapucines collections released since 2019.
The 22 Artycapucines bags are all one-off pieces. Each bag is signed by the artist under the flap and will be presented in a Monogram-covered Louis Vuitton Boîte Chapeau, a modern hat box based upon a design first launched by the Maison in 1924. Each of these unique boxes will be “signed” by the relevant artist, with these customisations ranging from a simple signature to more elaborate artwork.
Louis Vuitton will donate its net proceeds of the sale of each one of these unique Artycapucines to a specific charity or NGO of the artist’s choice, including UNICEF and NGOs working in poverty reduction, disaster relief, education, and refugee rights.
The 22 participating artists are Amélie Bertrand, Daniel Buren, Sam Falls, Urs Fischer, Gregor Hildebrandt, Donna Huanca, Huang Yuxing, Alex Israel, Liu Wei, Peter Marino, Beatriz Milhazes, Vik Muniz, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Park Seo-Bo, Paola Pivi, Ugo Rondinone, Tschabalala Self, Josh Smith, Jonas Wood, Kennedy Yanko, Zeng Fanzhi, and Zhao Zhao.
The Louis Vuitton and Sotheby’s Artycapucines auction is open for online bidding until 12th July 2023 at www.sothebys.com.
The 22 participating artists have chosen the following charities or NGOs:
Amélie Bertrand UNICEF
Daniel Buren Médecins sans Frontières
Sam Falls World Central Kitchen
Urs Fischer CORE Response
Gregor Hildebrandt Operndorf Afrika
Donna Huanca We are Family
Huang Yuxing RED
Alex Israel BABY2BABY
Liu Wei Teach for China
Peter Marino Public Art Fund in NYC
Beatriz Milhazes Spectaculu
Vik Muniz Escola Vidigal in Rio de Janeiro
Jean-Michel Othoniel UNICEF
Park Seo-Bo Médecins sans Frontières
Paola Pivi SAFE PASSAGE PROJECT
Ugo Rondinone John Giorno Foundation
Tschabalala Self The United Negro College Fund
Josh Smith Médecins sans Frontières
Jonas Wood Public Art Fund in NYC
Kennedy Yanko WOMEN WHO CREATE
Zeng Fanzhi UNICEF
Zhao Zhao UNICEF
