SHAPE – body, fashion, identity
TextielMuseum, Tilburg
November 16, 2024 – March 30, 2025

Today’s world is marked by a fascinating interaction between the physical, the virtual and the social. Discussions about beauty ideals, the impact of technology on our self-image, and dialogues about cultural identity and gender roles are at the heart of SHAPE – body, fashion, identity at the TextielMuseum in Tilburg. The exhibition centres around the malleability of the body and the role of textiles and fashion in creating identities. Well-known fashion designs by artists such as Iris van Herpen are presented alongside the puffer coat from the popular series And Just Like That, digital fashion, body-related art, AI and intriguing installations created especially for this exhibition in the TextielLab.

Fashion plays an increasingly important role in expressing who we are. Or who we want to be. It is like a second skin. We all surround and cover our bodies, and we all do so in our own way: sometimes to serve a function, sometimes to make a statement. Adding to this complexity is the fact that we no longer only dress in the real world but can also make a fashion statement online. With the rise of AI, the possibilities have become endless. This autumn, the TextielMuseum will bring together conceptual, sculptural fashion and body-related art from around the world that aims both to surprise and inspire reflection about contemporary notions of the body and concepts of identity.

These concepts of identity are organised around three themes: the vulnerable body, gender diversity and the hybrid body. Within these themes, a dialogue arises between the works, in which topics such as ethnic diversity, luxury versus poverty, people/flora/fauna, people and technology, and beauty and gender ideals are explored.

more. www.textielmuseum.nl