Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Sense
Brooklyn Museum, New York
May 16 – December 06, 2026

The groundbreaking exhibition Iris van Herpen: “Sculpting the Senses” pays tribute to one of today’s most revolutionary fashion designers working at the intersection of art and science. A pioneer in her use of cutting-edge technologies, Iris van Herpen defies the limits of conventional fashion while embracing both traditional couture craftsmanship and innovative materials and techniques. Furthering the Brooklyn Museum’s legacy of landmark fashion exhibitions and its commitment to championing trailblazing women in art and design, “Sculpting the Senses” marks Van Herpen’s first major New York exhibition. Fascinated by the complexity of nature and the power of science, Van Herpen transforms scientific concepts into visionary fashion. Drawing from wide-ranging fields spanning mathematics, neuroscience, marine biology, paleontology, mycology, mineralogy, astronomy, and more, her haute couture designs seamlessly merge art, science, and technology – evoking the often unseen structures of nature, from coral reefs and branching systems of fungi to the vast patterns of planetary motion.

Taking visitors from the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of the universe, “Sculpting the Senses” illuminates the core questions of the designer’s practice – about the body in space, its relationship to fashion and the environment, and its future in a rapidly changing world. Featuring themes that explore the mystery and might of water, the architecture of the skeleton and anatomical systems, the physics of motion, the perception of sound and light, and the generative interconnectedness of nature, each section in the exhibition showcases Van Herpen’s innovative approach to materials, movement, and technology. Her designs reflect the dynamic systems of the natural world, achieving the impossible with water-like sculptural gowns and air-like fabrics. “Sculpting the Senses” also includes an evocation of the designer’s atelier, offering visitors a unique opportunity to engage firsthand with the handcraftsmanship and tactile nature of couture creation.

Over 140 of Van Herpen’s avant-garde designs are placed in dialogue with works of contemporary art – by artists including Philip Beesley, Lanny Bergner, Rogan Brown, the Collectif Mé, Casey Curran, Wim Delvoye, Kim Keever, Nick Knight, Jacques Rougerie, David Spriggs, and Tim Walker. The exhibition also features design pieces by Ferruccio Laviani, Tomáš Libertíny, and Ren Ri alongside loans of scientific artifacts and natural history specimens, such as coral, fossils, and skeletons. The exhibition’s interdisciplinary nature thus nods to the Museum’s 1890 origins as the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, which held both fine art and scientific specimen collections. Situating Van Herpen’s work within a broad lineage of cross-disciplinary creativity, the Brooklyn presentation will feature new works drawn from its renowned collections in American art, Asian art, contemporary art, and feminist art as well as rare materials from the Museum’s Libraries and Archives. Featured artists include Katsumata Chieko, Tara Donovan, Harold Edgerton, Senju Hiroshi, Fujikasa Satoko, and Rob Wynne. Together, this intricate and fantastical display offers an intimate glimpse into Van Herpen’s artistic process, her expansive imagination, and her diverse sources of inspiration. The exhibition is complemented by a multisensory soundscape created by Dutch composer and music producer Salvador Breed.

more. www.brooklynmuseum.org