ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Organized by the Vitra Design Museum, curated by Glenn Adamson, and designed by London-based architecture and design studio JA Projects, Nike: Form Follows Motion is the first museum exhibition exploring the design history of Nike. This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition brings audiences behind the scenes to experience Nike’s unparalleled design lab and trace its five-decade ascent from a grassroots start-up to a global phenomenon.
Header: Sketch of Air Max, Tinker Hatfield, 1986 © Nike, Inc.
Flywire Prototype, appr. 2006 © Vitra Design Museum, photo: Unruh Jones
Detail of Flywire Prototype, appr. 2006 © Vitra Design Museum, photo: Unruh Jones
Tabletop covered with objects from Frank Rudy who invented the Air Technology, Department of Nike Archives (DNA), Beaverton, Oregon, 2024 © Nike, Inc., photo: Alastair Philip Wiper
Featured works are sourced from the Department of Nike Archives (DNA), representing the first time objects from the company’s archives have been displayed publicly. The historic selection features rarities and one-offs, including experimental prototypes of iconic sneaker models like the Waffle trainer, the Air Force One, and Shox, as well as original design studies for shoes and apparel. The creative contributions of individual designers such as Diane Katz, Tinker Hatfield, Eric Avar, Marc Newson, Comme des Garçons, and Virgil Abloh are also highlighted.
Steve Prefontaine at the Pac-8 Championships, Eugene (USA), 1973 © Nike, Inc., photo: Jeff Johnson
Hot Waffles for Sale poster, featuring Nike Waffle Trainers, 1978 © Nike, Inc.
EXHIBITION SPONSORS
Nike: Form Follows Motion is organized by the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, and is curated by Glenn Adamson and assistant curator Marcella Hanika with exhibition design by JA Projects and graphic design by Daniel Streat, Visual Fields.
The presentation of Nike: Form Follows Motion at Phoenix Art Museum is coordinated by Summer Rye, Fashion Curatorial Assistant, and Rebekah Monahan, Fashion Collection Manager, and presented by PNC Bank. It is also made possible through the generosity of Men’s Arts Council.
In-kind support is provided by Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix.
All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
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Featuring more than 20,000 objects, the collection spans the globe, bringing the world to our city, and our city to the world.
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