Hedi Slimane to show solo exhibition in Shanghai

Celine’s artistic director, Hedi Slimane, is to hold a solo exhibition of his work as a multi-disciplinary artist at the Almine Rech gallery in Shanghai.

The exhibition, titled “Sun of Sound”, will run from March 19 to April 30, and mark the first time Slimane has shown solo works in China.

In addition to Hedi Slimane influencing an entire fashion generation with his slim cut silhouettes, he invented an oblique visual language to represent youth and reinvent the documentation of bands and musicians.

In his work, live performance is reduced to a minimal, photographic lexicon—a ritual, black-and-white convention of signs. Still life photographs become almost liturgical—singular, silent expressions of youth, said the gallery in a statement.

At the heart of ‘Sun of Sound’ will be ‘Sonic,’ a series in which Slimane created studio portraits of musicians such as Lou Reed, Keith Richards, Brian Wilson and Amy Winehouse. The exhibition will also present works from earlier series such as ‘Berlin’ (2003) and ‘London, Birth of a Cult’ (2005), the latter of which describes the daily life of a young, then unknown British rockstar Pete Doherty, who symbolized a new generation of London punk rock.

The exhibition will also feature an immersive sound installation, which highlights Slimane’s exploration of music.

Image: Hedi Slimane via Almine Rech