Exhibition Dates: May 5–September 5, 2016 (extended from August 14)
Exhibition Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, Robert Lehman Wing
(New York, July 7, 2016)—Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology at The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been extended by three weeks through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. The exhibition, organized by The Costume Institute, opened to the public on May 5, and has drawn more than 350,000 visitors in its first nine weeks.
“With the transformation of the Robert Lehman Wing into a breathtaking cathedral to couture, we want to give as many people as possible the chance to experience this exhibition,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of The Met. “The show invites visitors to explore the artistry of over 170 haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles. It is a wonderful way to discover the magic behind the making of fashion.”
To date, the exhibition’s attendance is just behind China: Through the Looking Glass (2015) and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty (2011), the Met’s fifth and eighth most popular exhibitions respectively, both of which were also extended. All three were curated by Andrew Bolton, now Curator in Change of The Costume Institute. China: Through the Looking Glass attracted 815,992 visitors in total, and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty drew 661,509.
Though the gallery space is slightly smaller than the China exhibition’s footprint, Manus x Machina has 30 more ensembles, and visitors from around the world have viewed it without waiting in line.
Museum Members will have early-morning private access to the galleries on Friday, July 15, and Saturday, July 16, from 9 to 10 am before the Museum opens to the public.
On July 22, MetFridays: Extreme Measures (5-9 pm) will include a number of related activities, including a special Drop-in Drawing session featuring live models wearing clothing inspired by the exhibition, a wearable art-making program on creating extreme hair accessories, and a participatory nail art workshop.
Originally scheduled to close on August 14, the exhibition explores how designers reconcile the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear. It addresses the distinction between the hand (manus) and the machine (machina) as discordant tools in the creative process, and questions the changing delineation between the haute couture and ready-to-wear.
The exhibition is made possible by Apple.
Additional support is provided by Condé Nast.
The exhibition is featured on the Museum’s website, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using #ManusxMachina.
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July 7, 2016
Image: Wedding ensemble, Karl Lagerfeld (French, born Hamburg, 1938) for House of Chanel (French, founded 1913), autumn/winter 2014–15 haute couture, back view; Courtesy of CHANEL Patrimoine Collection
Photo © Nicholas Alan Cope