Nike and VA Securities to Present “Virgil Abloh: The Codes c/o Architecture”

From December 1 through 4, 2022, Nike and VA Securities will present “Virgil Abloh: The Codes c/o Architecture” at Miami’s Rubell Museum. The exhibition honors Abloh’s creative legacy, highlighting his long-term partnership with Nike, and shares design methodologies that were central to his creative identity. The exhibition and its related programs are designed to showcase his methodological principles — known as Abloh’s Codes — which are meant to be applicable to any medium, product or space. The Codes made his work, and particularly The Ten with Nike, both easily identifiable and translatable.  

“Virgil and Nike thrived together because he understood the brand’s role as a cornerstone of culture while Nike understood the importance of truly supporting creatives and their visions,” says Shannon Abloh, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Virgil Abloh Securities. “This beautiful four-day experience at Miami Art Week will honor their legacy together and champion both Virgil’s open-source methods and his genuine commitment to collaborating with and inspiring others.” 

As Nike’s partnership with VA Securities evolves, the Codes will guide and shape future collaborative output led by the platform Abloh co-created with Nike, Architecture. Through Architecture, which is helmed by Mahfuz and Chloe Sultan, each future project is expected to reflect on and reinterpret the Codes.   

The goal is to further Abloh’s legacy beyond an individual practice and to establish a framework for an enduring open-source institution and invitation to design anchored in inspirational storytelling. 

“Virgil’s influence was so outsized and impactful,” says Serena Williams. “Not only did he inspire and empower my approach as a designer and collaborator, he did so with every partner, product and person he touched.” 

That includes Leo Sandino-Taylor, Nike’s Vice President of Global Catalyst Brand Management. “The depth of Nike’s partnership with Virgil materialized far beyond our iconic collaborations. His transparent design approach influenced our teams and inspired a new generation of young design talent to find their creative voice and share it with the world,” says Sandino-Taylor. “Championing Virgil’s Codes allows our community to take a deeper look into his practice, celebrate his legacy and evolve how his ethos can continue to empower fresh voices and perspectives. Ultimately, Virgil’s work with Nike invited more people into sport and design and created the future. This moment is a celebration of a true partnership showcasing what we’ve created together while also providing a peek into what’s next.” 

The Codes exhibition is also the formal introduction for the Off-White™ x Nike Terra Forma, the first original Nike sneaker designed from scratch by Abloh and Nike designers in 2022. The Terra Forma is part of a to-be-released catalog of Virgil-designed apparel and footwear collections. The shoe, along with an associated apparel line, releases later in December. 

For information on opening hours and programming of “Virgil Abloh: The Codes c/o Architecture,” follow @arch___itecture.