Wes Anderson's Archives Are Coming to London's Design Museum
Including many objects, sets, and architecture miniatures that have never been exhibited before.
Hundreds of props, sets, costumes, notebooks, and mature models from the archive of Wes Anderson are set to go on show at the Design Museum in London.
The show, opening in November, marks the first major museum exhibition devoted to Anderson’s huge output, and has seen the curators gain “unprecedented” access to the director’s archives, which are meticulously kept up by Anderson himself.
Among the some-600 objects on show will be the huge model of the Grand Budapest Hotel, which spans three metres in width and was used to film the building’s facade for the 2014 film.
Other highlights will include vending machines from Asteroid City (2023), stop motion puppets from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), and Gwenyth Paltrow’s Fendi coat from The Royal Tenenbaums (2001).
Personal notebooks belonging to Anderson will also be on show, featuring sketches and notes that take visitors behind the scenes of his creative process.
“Every single object in a Wes Anderson film is very personal to him — they are not simply props, they are fully formed pieces of art and design that make his inventive worlds come to life,” says Lucia Savi, Head of Curatorial and Interpretation at the Design Museum and co-curator of Wes Anderson: The Archives alongside Johanna Agerman Ross.
Model of The Grand Budapest Hotel, Thierry StefanopoulosLa Cinémathèque Française
Max Fischer’s Rushmore Swiss Army knife, Roger Do MinhDesign Museum
Whitman brothers’ Suitcases from The Darjeeling Limited, Roger Do MinhDesign Museum
The French Despatch magazines, Roger Do MinhDesign Museum
Wes Anderson, Charlie GraySearchlight Pictures
According to the Design Museum, Anderson began collecting the objects from his films some 30 years ago, when he realised that props from Bottle Rocket were sold off by the film company. When it came to making his second feature film, Rushmore, he started personally ensuring that each piece crafted was accounted for and taken care of. As a result, he has amassed thousands of objects. The Design Museum show marks the first time that these archives have been displayed, with many having spent years in storage.
“It is an absolute gift that even as a young film-maker Wes Anderson had the vision and foresight to save all his props and beautifully crafted objects for his own archive,” says Agerman Ross, who serves as the Chief Curator at the Design Museum.
Wes Anderson: The Archives opens on November 21. Find out more details via the Design Museum’s website.
