CHICAGO, IL.- The MCA Store at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has joined forces with acclaimed streetwear designer and artist Joshua Vides to release a hand-painted Converse Chuck 70 collection. Vides is set to release the limited Converse Chuck 70 on the Heritage Auctions
website on November 6, 2020. The sneaker release is one of a series of drops the artist is unveiling that are inspired by his striking new Forever Hallway installation at the museum, near at the MCA Store.
This launch marks the second sneaker collaboration in the MCA Chicago's history following the museum's release of the Nike x Off-White 'MCA' Air Force 1 Low with Virgil Abloh in celebration of his 2019 Figures of Speech exhibition.
Vides' second take on the Converse Chuck 70 is constructed from a 4-foot by 40-foot canvas hand-painted by Vides in his signature sketch art style. The upper of each sneaker was then cut, stitched and crafted into 30 unique pairs, each packaged in custom spray-painted box with personalized detailing.
Heritage Auctions will host the auction via its online platform starting on November 6, 2020 with bidding closing on November 13, 2020. The auction house is the largest collectibles auctioneer in the world and the largest auction house founded in the U.S., specializing in fine art, jewelry, rare collectibles, and other precious objects.
"I think Chicago will always hold this special moment in time when I look back at my career. My first-ever sneaker released here at ComplexCon in 2019 with Converse and my next trip was focused on the installation at MCA. Those two experiences have put me in a new position and have allowed my work to live outside of my initial reach," says Vides. "Creating Forever Hallway was an unforgettable experience. I felt it was only right to align with Converse to release a unique Chuck 70 inspired by the installation that people can enjoy."
"Heritage Auctions is excited to continue our relationship with Museum of Contemporary Art and the opportunity to work with Joshua Vides and Converse. The transition of Vides' painting into an iconic Converse silhouette is an example of the evolution of art, taking the high-brow and combining with everyday objects," Heritage Auctions Vice President of Modern & Contemporary Art Leon Benrimon said. "This is the kind of collaboration that allows an artist like Joshua Vides, Converse and the MCA to use Heritage Auctions as a primary market vehicle and solidifies our position at the forefront of the Urban Art market."
"Our collaboration with Joshua Vides represents the continuation of the energy and excitement generated by partnerships with Virgil Abloh and Takashi Murakami," says MCA Store Retail Director, Laura Ralston. "Joshua is an artist of immense good will and boundless creativity. He is a true visionary who draws viewers into the nexus of the hands-on artistic process, museum theory, and witty commercial appeal."
The installation that inspired the design of the sneakers, titled Forever Hallway, invites visitors to step into the corridor leading to the MCA Store and enter into a spiraling fantasy where the hallway seems to have no end. In addition to the limited-edition sneaker, the installation has inspired a series of drops at the MCA Store: the collection of "JV x MCA Essentials" which includes hoodies, tees, and specialty accessories inspired by Vides' own experiences going to museums as a child; a series of one-of-a-kind, paint splattered New Era caps scheduled for release on November 30, 2020; a limited edition Dickie's Eisenhower jacket scheduled for release on December 7, 2020, and exclusive Topps Baseball Cards featuring Chicago Players that are scheduled for release in spring 2021.
Only 30 pairs of the limited-edition Converse Chuck Taylor 70 have been produced and are available exclusively on the Heritage Auctions website. The auction opens to bidders on November 6 and closes on November 13, 2020.