Love Wes Anderson, the visionary filmmaker known for his meticulously crafted visual style and distinctive storytelling? If so, you’ll be thrilled to know that his personal archives will be on display for the first time in a landmark exhibition at London’s Design Museum later this year.
Wes Anderson has made a name for himself as one of cinema’s most influential creative voices with films like The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Fantastic Mr Fox. His unique aesthetic, characterized by symmetrical compositions, vibrant color palettes, and obsessively detailed set design, has inspired countless filmmakers, designers, photographers, and artists in various fields.
The exhibition, titled „Wes Anderson: The Archives,“ will open on November 21 and will showcase over 600 items from the director’s personal collection, providing a rare glimpse into his creative process and meticulous approach to filmmaking.
The centerpiece of the exhibition will be a 3m-wide candy-pink model of the Grand Budapest Hotel, used in the making of the 2014 film. Visitors can also expect to see original storyboards, polaroids, sketches, and Wes’s personal notebooks featuring his distinctive handwriting.
The exhibition will feature objects that have never been publicly displayed in Britain before, with over 100 additional items added for the London presentation. Highlights include the vending machines from Asteroid City, Margot Tenenbaum’s iconic FENDI fur coat, and stop-motion puppets from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Art enthusiasts will be delighted to see „Boy with Apple,“ a contemporary work commissioned by Wes from British artist Michael Taylor for The Grand Budapest Hotel. The exhibition will also offer a rare viewing of Wes’s original 1993 Bottle Rocket short film, which later became his first feature film.
Costumes from Anderson’s films, including the Oscar-winning designs from The Grand Budapest Hotel, will be on display, along with other unique items like THE FRENCH DISPATCH magazines and miniature models from The Darjeeling Limited. © The Design Museum
A puppet of a rat created by Arch Model Studio for FANTASTIC MR. FOX. Photo by Richard Round-Turner. © The Design Museum
Visitors can explore the costumes worn by iconic characters from cinema, including Max Fischer’s Rushmore Academy uniform and the outfits of the Zissou crew. The exhibition showcases costumes worn by stars such as Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Owen Wilson.
The sections dedicated to stop-motion films like Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs will feature original puppets of various sizes, including Mr. Fox in his corduroy suit and Nutmeg the show dog, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. The exhibition will also display props, sets, and other materials, highlighting the director’s collaborative approach.
The exhibition will showcase props, sets, and work-in-progress materials, emphasizing the director’s commitment to traditional filmmaking techniques.
Various artifacts from Wes Anderson’s films will be on display, showcasing his dedication to preserving his work since his early days as a filmmaker. The exhibition will delve into the rich archives of Anderson’s creations.
The Design Museum is the perfect setting for this retrospective of Wes Anderson’s work, as his meticulous attention to design and craftsmanship aligns with the museum’s values.