John Torres created the light design for ‘Visionary Journeys,’ the first installment of OMA’s concept for Louis Vuitton’s exhibition design and identity. Located on the ground level of the Gaysorn Amarin in Bangkok, the inaugural project is the cultural component to “LV The Place,” a new interface to the Maison integrating exhibition, café, store, and restaurant.
The scenography recontextualizes historic and contemporary pieces through dreamlike environments. The most defining designs or moments of the Maison are quite literally translated into the environments containing them. Five thematic rooms—”Trunkscape”, “Origins”, “Iconic Bags”, “Collaboration”, and “Souvenirs”—is constructed using a specific display typology informed by its contents. Elements and techniques such as structural innovations, boundless archival formats, material qualities, and iconographies are extracted and translated into a kit of new parts for each room.
The world of Hermès collided with the spectacular, creative vision of Torres and theatre director and visual artist Robert Wilson at Cedar Lake in New York’s Chelsea arts district. Working together to present a surreal, off-kilter realm centered around Hermès’ home collections, the performance-driven installation, entitled ‘Here Elsewhere,’ was a captivating articulation of the label’s values.
Equally rooted in Hermès’ rigorous craftsmanship and its propensity for disarming fantasy, ‘Here Elsewhere’ revealed itself in three parts in which Wilson’s signature approach to sound, lighting, direction and theatre came into full force.
Kicking off its birthday celebration, Gucci opened a new exhibit in the heart of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, tracking the Florentine house’s most influential pieces over the decades.The boutique is stocked with the new Gucci 100 collection that has song lyrics plastered across ready-to-wear and accessories, and is equipped with a fun see-and-say type music wheel that highlights popular Gucci-themed songs with interactive features.
At this location, shoppers will find an offering of everything from monogrammed luggage sets and outwear, to tried-and-true house icons, like suits and slip-on loafers, now featuring musical prints.
Between the Gucci-fied walls are velvet covered rooms, each curated with a distinct vibe. One is dedicated to the house’s new fine jewelry offering, while another is reserved for its logo-emblazoned items, including the Balenciaga-hybrid Hacker Project pieces from Fall 2021.
In Collaboration with Torres, Gucci 100 pop ups juxtapose classic architecture with LED and white reflective floors that mirror the collection, celebrating rich history and modern style. Music, like any other party, is central to the Gucci 100 experience, as Gucci guests can discover playlists in-store, comprised of songs from different decades that namedrop the legacy label.
Lighting designer John Torres collaborated with the house of Gucci on their iconic show which was live-streamed from famed Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, unveiling their new collection.
John worked with the brand to bring creativity and culture together in a post-pandemic rebirth, lighting the iconic boulevard to compliment Alessandro Michele’s second collection in the centenary year of the house. In keeping with the house’s “Changemakers programme” via Gucci Equilibrium, Gucci supported the communities of Los Angeles through donations to organizations that tackle issues including mental health and homelessness.
John Torres created the light design for the Puma Mostro Show in New York City.
Proenza Schouler’s SS22 project partners with Torres in a New York skyline show production. A strong palette is seen throughout, with a monochromatic base exposed to injections of vibrant pinks, yellows and oranges amongst a range of graphic prints. The collection is highlighted by Torres in a romantic light with undertones of city street hues of blues and white light.
John Torres created the light design for the Tory Burch Spring Summer 2024, Fall Winter 2024, and Fall Winter 2023 fashion shows.
For his 10th anniversary with Givenchy, creative director Riccardo Tisci partnered with Torres and performance artist and art world celebrity, Marina Abramović, on a tour de force on the Hudson River – the House’s first show in New York.
Abramovic’s installation, which spanned the length of a New York City pier, included a diverse assortment of surreal happenings including, but not limited to, women climbing ladders, llamas, grand pianos, Serbian folk singers, cellists, and violinists, which were interspersed throughout the space.
With guests arriving more an hour before the show began, there was plenty of time to take in the beautifully lit installations high up on plinths as artists performed in delicate vignettes against the changing backdrop of the setting sun.
John worked directly alongside award winning recording artist Drake for the “Its all a Blur” tour, in support of his first collaborative album with Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage. John developed a lighting design for the sold out multi-city stadium arena tour in both 2023 and 2024. John also worked with the artist on his sold out New York show at the acclaimed Apollo theater in Harlem, New York creating a listing design specific to each of the over 50 of the artists most acclaimed songs.
American director and visual artist Robert Wilson’s production of The Messiah (Der Messias) is a version of Georg Friedrich Händel’s Messiah from Mozart’s adaptation. Premiering in January 2020 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, The Messiah incorporates Mozart’s music as a means of comfort and light during difficult moments, choosing to focus on spirituality rather than religion.
The Mile-Long Opera, a citywide public engagement project, brought together 1,000 singers from across New York for a free performance on the High Line in October of 2018.
Co-created by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, with words and lyrics by acclaimed poet Anne Carson and Claudia Rankine, The Mile Long opera: a Biography of 7 O’Clock is an Ambitious, collective, free choral work that shares personal stories from hundreds of New Yorkers about life in our rapidly changing city.
The Black Clown is a world premiere musical theater experience that fuses vaudeville, gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals to bring Langston Hughes’ verse to life onstage and animate a Black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression. The production features Davone Tines (Crossing and Run AMOC!Festival) in the title role, an ensemble of twelve, and a new score by Michael Schachter (Run AMOC! Festival).
John Torres casts giant shadows on a scrim, lit from behind, and makes dramatic use of overhead and sweeping spotlights, footlights, and bright bulbs fully surrounding the proscenium arch.
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