By The Arts Editorial Team
At Art Basel Hong Kong 2026, Louis Vuitton presents a tribute to the late architect Frank Gehry, honoring a decades‑long creative dialogue between the Maison and one of architecture’s most influential figures. As Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 comes into view, the special relationship between the historic French House and the Canadian‑American architect—who passed in December 2025—is brought into focus through a dedicated retrospective presentation.
Gehry was a pioneer of form, internationally recognized for his transformative approach to surfaces and structure*.* Alongside figures such as Zaha Hadid, Coop Himmelb(l)au, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind, Peter Eisenman, and Bernard Tschumi, he helped shape the deconstructivist movement that emerged in the late 1980s. His signature language became globally recognized through landmark projects ranging from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris.
Gehry’s creative practice extended beyond architecture into design, where he continued to explore materiality, movement, and process. His collaborations with Louis Vuitton—including the Louis Vuitton x Frank Gehry handbags and the iconic “Twisted Box” bag created for the House’s 160th anniversary—stand as enduring expressions of a shared commitment to experimentation and craftsmanship. In 2019, Gehry completed the Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul, his first building in South Korea. The structure draws from both traditional Korean architecture and the curved glass vocabulary of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, translating monumental architectural ideas into a dynamic retail environment. For the House’s 200th anniversary in 2022, A Tea Party for Louis, Gehry reimagined the iconic Louis Vuitton trunk through the lens of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, alongside conceiving Murano glass Blossom stoppers for the Maison’s Les Extraits fragrances.
Louis Vuitton’s retrospective booth honoring Frank Gehry at Art Basel Hong Kong 2026. (Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton)
His architectural language has continued to inform Louis Vuitton creations, from the Capucines BB Analog Bag—referencing the angled façade of New York’s IAC Building—to the Tambour watch released in 2024. The latter combines the precision of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton with fluid sculptural reliefs drawn from Gehry’s architectural forms. Sculpted and hand‑finished in sapphire and bearing his signature on the case back, the watch articulates Gehry’s vision of time as both structure and movement.
Presented as a chronological retrospective booth structured across eight chapters, the exhibition brings together architectural projects, limited‑edition handbags, fragrance objects, timepieces, and original maquettes that offer insight into Gehry’s creative process and enduring curiosity.
Louis Vuitton’s Art Basel Hong Kong booth showcasing Frank Gehry’s collaborations across architecture, handbags, fragrances, and watchmaking. (Image courtesy of Louis Vuitton)
Art Basel Hong Kong runs from March 27–29, 2026, at the Hong Kong Convention Centre, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.