The Nike Form Follows Motion exhibition explores Nike’s 60-year evolution
Presenting the brand’s first ever museum exhibition, the Vitra Design Museum in Germany will host the Nike Form Follows Motion exhibition starting on September 21. The showcase will take visitors onto a journey spanning over five decades, from a small startup to a global sensation.
The Nike Form Follows Motion exhibition, which is curated by Glenn Adamson, provides a never-before-seen glimpse into the history of Nike design. The company’s origins in the 1960s, the design of its recognizable Swoosh logo, and the evolution of its cult favorites, such as Air Max and Flyknit, will all be explored by visitors. The exhibit also showcases Nike’s ongoing research into sustainable development and future materials.
“When we approached Nike, we learned more about their incredible design archive, a huge treasure that had never been presented in an exhibition,” said director of the Vitra Design Museum, Mateo Kries. “That was how the idea of this exhibition was born. The show offers a unique opportunity to focus on design through the lens of a single brand and to display fascinating objects that illustrate the process of design development, some of which have never been shown before.”
The Department of Nike Archives, which holds over 200,000 items, is the source of most of the exhibitions. Original design studies for clothing and shoes, as well as experimental versions of the Air Force One, Shox, and Waffle sneakers are included. The show also features the innovative work of outside partners including Marc Newson, Comme des Garçons, and Virgil Abloh as well as internal designers such as Diane Katz, Tinker Hatfield, and Eric Avar.
“We will look at the larger social and historical context surrounding Nike,” said curator Glenn Adamson. “Over the past 50 years, sport has had a tremendous impact on our perception of the human body, beyond the track and the court, for example, on conceptions of gender roles. Our exhibition will show how the company has both instigated and responded to these changing dynamics, from its initial emphasis on performance and optimization to greater diversity and inclusion.”
The Nike Form Follows Motion exhibition at Vitra Design Museum will be available from September 21, 2024 until May 4, 2025.
