Chanel is to donate the exhibition pavilion designed by Iraqi-born British architect, Zaha Hadid, to the Arab World Institute.

The pavilion showcased artworks by contemporary artists inspired by Chanel’s iconic 2.55 handbag in 2008.

Chanel will thereby perpetuate this work designed by one of the greatest contemporary architects.

Fresh off stints in Tokyo and Hong Kong, Chanel’s UFO-like mobile art pavilion is making a stop in Central Park before being transported over to London, Moscow and Paris.

The curled shiny structure is full of art inspired by Chanel’s iconic quilted leather Chanel handbag – pieces like an enormous Chanel handbag spilled over.

The work has drawn criticism for its cluelessness, and its place in the Park, which the New York Times calls an “instrument of psychological healing for the weary.”

The Mobile Art exhibition of Chanel will debut its worldwide tour in Hong Kong this month.

Resulting from a collaboration between Architect Zaha Hadid and Karl Lagerfeld this boundary-breaking project will tour from 2008 to 2010 from Hong Kong to Paris, Tokyo, New York, LA, London and finally Moscow.

The Chanel Contemporary Art Container – a collapsible, futuristic pavilion – is a celebration of Chanel’s cultural importance and displays the brand’s heritage in a new way.

Chanel commissioned fifteen internationally renowned contemporary artists to create works inspired by the iconic quilted Chanel 2.55 shoulder bag which was originally introduced by Coco Chanel in February 1955.