Louis Vuitton is happy to announce the opening of an art space, “Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo”, on the 7th floor of a landmark building in the Omotesando area on January 15th, 2011. First inaugurated in September 2002, the building was conceived as a Louis Vuitton store with several floors by architect Mr. Jun Aoki. His inspiration was an image of piled trunks, which could beautifully coexist with the zelkova tree-lined streets of Omotesando,

This art space epitomizes Louis Vuitton’s longstanding relationship with the arts, 5 years after the opening ofEspace Culturel Louis Vuitton in Paris on the 7th floor of Louis Vuitton Champs-Elysées Maison, on January 10th 2006.

The Espace in Paris has been holding ambitious exhibitions of contemporary art three times a year, as well as continually hosting book readings, art talks and happenings. More than 15 exhibitions, which all relate to the central theme of the Art of Travel, have been organized at the Espace culturel Louis Vuitton. With more than 200,000 visitors, this Espace is today conceived as one of the most inspiring art spaces in Paris.

Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo is located at the center of Omotesando, the most beautiful area in Tokyo, which has created many trends and cultural movements. The exhibition space on the 7th floor will have ceilings 8.45 meters high with 193m2 space, and gives visitors the impression of being in an “aerial space” surrounded by the glass. It is also conceived as a space to provide artists with stimulating inspiration.

The Espace in Paris has not only provided opportunities for up and coming French artists to present their works, but also global and prominent artists, such as James Turrell, Joseph Kosuth, Subodh Gupta, Tracey Emin and Do Ho Suh. Similarly, Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo is expected to hold 3 exhibitions per year for young artists as well as established artists, individuals and groups. Artists from around the world and Louis Vuitton will encourage the creation of new artwork and so will make Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo another place for artists to express themselves.

Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton comments, “Based on the shared values of passion and creativity, art and luxury interact with each other, increasing the points of exchange and overturning the usual boundaries between these two worlds. Constantly renewed under the influence of Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton’s dedication to the arts has been ceaselessly expanding. We are very happy to inaugurate the Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo on one of the most prestigious avenues in the world: Omotesando, where Louis Vuitton has been present since 2002. Tokyo is a city full of artistic inspiration and dynamic creativity. Opening another Espace Louis Vuitton here in Tokyo, after Paris in 2006, seemed like an obvious choice for us. We hope we will share our passion for creation, not only with the citizens of Tokyo but also with the public from all over Japan.”