MOBILE ART

The Chanel Mobile Art Container is an extraordinary traveling exhibition space built by architect Zaha Hadid at the invitation of Chanel helmsman Karl Lagerfeld. This book collects Lagerfeld's black-and-white photographs of the container, taken during its tour of Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York in 2008. The fluid architecture of this mobile, collapsible exhibition pod is echoed in Lagerfeld's images, which abstract the structure into a series of white curves and grey planes silhouetted against a black sky. The art inside, by some 20 international artists--including Yoko Ono, Stephen Shore and Sophie Calle--was inspired by the elements that give the Chanel bag its identity. Sylvie Fleury, for instance, lined an entire room in leather, creating the sensation of being able to walk inside the iconic purse. Included are three DVDs with amazing footage of the container against the backdrops of Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York.