'The Codes': Nike shows almost 1,000 objects by Virgil Abloh in New York
Marking five years since the designer's death, The Shed shows designs, prototypes and sketches from 10 December to 18 January. His Paris office at Pont Neuf is also recreated.
Archive image · Photo: Myles Kalus Anak Jihem / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Nike and the Virgil Abloh Foundation are bringing the exhibition “Virgil Abloh: The Codes” to New York. From 10 December 2026 to 18 January 2027, the arts centre The Shed will show nearly 1,000 objects spanning fashion, footwear, art, architecture, graphic design and music – finished works alongside prototypes, sketches and archival material. General ticket sales open on 23 October. The show was previously staged in Miami and Paris; the New York edition is curated by Chloe Sultan and Mahfuz Sultan.
At its centre are Abloh's “Codes,” a set of creative principles he applied to products, spaces and mediums – for example in “The Ten” footwear series with Nike. His Paris office at Pont Neuf is recreated, and a media lab opens up a selection of his raw design files. Also planned are a month of conversations, performances and workshops and a retail space co-curated by JJJJound founder Justin Saunders, with details to follow in the coming weeks.
The exhibition marks the fifth anniversary of Abloh's death. Shannon Abloh, founder of the Virgil Abloh Archive and Foundation, said Virgil believed in opening doors and making knowledge accessible, and that his legacy lives on through the people he inspired. Archive director Chloe Sultan called Abloh “an undeniable weathervane.” According to Nike, the Virgil Abloh Archive holds more than 20,000 objects.