In her installation for NGV Triennial 2017, Guo Pei presents ensembles from Legend 2017, her 2017 spring-summer couture show in Paris. The collection was inspired by the Cathedral of Saint Gall in Switzerland.
Guo’s encounter with the Cathedral followed a visit to the factory of haute couture fabric manufacturer Jakob Schlaepfer in St Gallen, a small town once famous for its textile and embroidery production. Martin Leuthold, the art director of Jakob Schlaepfer, suggested Guo visit the Cathedral of Saint Gall. The moment Guo entered the Cathedral, she was entranced by its spectacular dome paintings depicting heavenly scenes. Although she was due to catch a plane, Guo was captivated and spent the next four hours in the Cathedral, missing her flight. In Guo’s imagination, the details of a new collection were taking shape from what she was seeing – the contrast of light and dark in the dome paintings coupled with the gold of the Cathedral’s ornate metalwork. The awe Guo experienced at the Cathedral of Saint Gall inspired her to create the Legend collection.
Supported by Krystyna Campbell-Pretty & the Campbell-Pretty Family, the Spotlight Foundation, Norma Leslie, and Neville and Diana Bertalli and the NGV Gala.
The NGV thanks Bonaveri for its support of this exhibition.