The exhibition spaces of the Almine Rech Gallery in Monaco will host, until May 24, the third solo exhibition of artist Francesco Vezzoli, titled "Francesco Vezzoli presents: KARL GOES TO MEMPHIS. Tribute to a Historic Encounter in Monte Carlo", dedicated to the meeting between fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and the Memphis collective, founded by Ettore Sottsass in the 1980s.

When Lagerfeld relocated to Monte Carlo in the early 1980s, he decided to furnish his apartment in the Roccabella building, designed by Gio Ponti, with avant-garde Memphis pieces, creating an interior that became a manifesto of the group's radical and expressive philosophy. “It is nearly impossible to find, in the history of 20th-century art and architecture, a creative collision as all-encompassing and intoxicating as the one that exploded in 1981, when Karl Lagerfeld entrusted Memphis with the aesthetic vision for his living space in Monte Carlo”, explained Francesco Vezzoli, who aims to pay tribute to a meeting that redefined “the very boundaries of art, fashion, and interior design”.

The exhibition seeks to recreate the fusion of these two seemingly distant creative worlds, meticulously reconstructing the legendary designer’s residence and enriching it with eight new works by the artist, designed to reinterpret the spirit of this “utopian and surreal” project. Among the exhibited pieces are historic Memphis designs originally present in Lagerfeld’s apartment, such as the Carlton bookcase by Ettore Sottsass, the Tawaraya Ring by Masanori Umeda, the First chair and Oceanic table lamp by Michele De Lucchi, the Super lamp by Martine Bedin, the Dublin sofa by Marco Zanini, and the Labrador sauceboat by Andrea Branzi.

To complete this unconventional atmosphere, Francesco Vezzoli, renowned for his artistic exploration of the relationship between collective memory and contemporary cultural icons, has created embroidered portraits of Karl Lagerfeld, framed by opulent baroque structures. In a move reminiscent of his early works, Vezzoli seeks to restore an authentic and human dimension to the designer, distancing him from the austere and inaccessible image of his later years. Instead, the exhibition presents Lagerfeld as the man he always was—a figure of caustic humour, passionate about experimentation and culture.

Opening image:  Francesco Vezzoli, KARL GOES TO MEMPHIS (I FEEL JUST LIKE A CHILD), 2025. Inkjet print on canvas, metallic embroidery, artist’s frame. © Francesco Vezzoli - Courtesy of the Artist and Almine Rech.

Exhibition: Francesco Vezzoli presents: KARL GOES TO MEMPHIS. Tribute to an historic encounter in Monte Carlo Location: Almine Rech Gallery, Monaco Dates: from 20th March 2025 to 24th May 2025