Louvre Museum (Paris, France) and UNIQLO announce their ground-breaking collaboration with the artist and designer duo M/M (Paris) for the upcoming UT collection (UNIQLO T-shirt) slated for release on 8 May. The writings of the Louvre collection created by M/M (Paris) combines fragments of historic writings taken from artworks at the museum with a unique typography, inviting to rethink the past through a mix of art, fashion and graphic design
Since 2021, the Louvre and Uniqlo have been inviting contemporary designers to interpret the museum collections with a line of T-shirts. For 2023, M/M (Paris) chose to delve into the theme of writing, a unifying thread that spans all nine departments of the Louvre’s collections from the third millennium BC to the 19th century.
From the first written documents in the history of humankind to the signature of Nicolas Poussin, M/M combine a series of details from artworks in one of their exclusive typographic designs. Composed of modular geometric elements containing images, this typography writes the name of the Louvre, and captures the diversity of the museum as a library of inscriptions.
The T-shirt collection also introduces a fresh iteration of The Agent, a recurring figure in the creative world of M/M, devoid of friction, gender or race, a figure who shows no emotion and harkens back to a time when low-res digital graphics seemed to be a thing of the future. A metaphor of their creative method, The Agent plugs in, learns, advances and evolves, acquiring meaning and memory with each new appearance. For the Louvre, The Agent dons an inverted image of the Mona Lisa, a reflection of the painting from the viewer’s perspective, whether sitting atop or exploring around I.M. Pei’s iconic Pyramid.
The collection of T-shirts, called The writings of the Louvre, gives museum-goers an opportunity to explore the possibilities of graphic design. By combining The Agent and their unique typography with historical writings and inscriptions, M/M challenges the public to rethink how the past is represented and proposes an art composite.
In addition to T-shirts, the collection will also feature merchandising products proposed by Rmn – Grand Palais: cotton tote bags, ballpoint pens, mugs, snow globes, rectangular trays, micro-puzzles and candles, as well as a stationery line. Posters designed with this typography will be displayed at public entrances to the Musée du Louvre.
‘We are very excited about this collection, which gives museum visitors the opportunity to think beyond the obvious representation of the past, and proposes a blend of art, design and fashion in a way that transcends space, time and culture.’
M/M (Paris)
‘With The writings of the Louvre, the artistic duo M/M (Paris) has really delved into the richness of our collection to promote new encounters between the artworks and the public. I am pleased that the Louvre remains such a vibrant space and source of inspiration for today’s creators.’ Laurence des Cars, President-Director of the musée du Louvre
About M/M (PARIS)
Founded by Michaël Amzalag and Mathias Augustyniak in 1992, M/M (Paris) blurs the lines between graphic design, visual arts, fashion, music, photography and theatre. Through their collaborations with artists, brands, magazines and more, M/M (Paris) has been shaping the creative landscape for over 30 years.
Their work has been exhibited in international museums such as the Centre Pompidou/ Musée National d’Art Moderne de Paris, the London Design Museum, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris, the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, the Museum für Moderne Kunst in Frankfurt, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Tate Modern in London and the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven.
Partnership between UNIQLO and the musée du Louvre
The partnership between UNIQLO and the Musée du Louvre began in January 2021 with the aim of bringing art into daily life. It proposes a series of collaborative UT t-shirt collections and support from UNIQLO for various activities held within the museum for the general public.
Uniqlo Co., Ltd. (株式会社ユニクロ, Kabushiki-gaisha Yunikuro) is a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
