ModeMuseum Antwerpen (MoMu)

In Western art’s canonised history, girlhood has been framed as a fleeting phase: tender, naive, in transition. As an eternal muse, this ‘young girl’ in art history was an anonymity, a silent subject, a daughter of . She plays the piano, holds a kitten, and clasps her hands politely on her knees: her pose and paraphernalia are all suggestive of her virtue and innocence. She’s not bothering anyone, she’s just there. Art that truly centres girlhood, meanwhile, is too often dismissed as sentimental or lacking intellectual rigour. But this trivialisation overlooks the emotional, psychological and political depth that the topic can offer. Through the eyes of the artists, designers, photographers and filmmakers in this exhibition, girlhood is more than just a theme, but a way of seeing – of remembering and imagining.

[PARA] The installation — composed of clips from one hundred films spanning nine decades — offers an alternative history of Spanish cinema in which stars such as Aurora Bautista, Sara Montiel, Ángela Molina, Carmen Maura, Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, and Penélope Cruz (among many others) have embodied the profound and diverse transformations women in Spain have undergone over the past century. [PARA] The installation — composed of clips from one hundred films spanning nine decades — offers an alternative history of Spanish cinema in which stars such as Aurora Bautista, Sara Montiel, Ángela Molina, Carmen Maura, Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, and Penélope Cruz (among many others) have embodied the profound and diverse transformations women in Spain have undergone over the past century. [PARA] The installation — composed of clips from one hundred films spanning nine decades — offers an alternative history of Spanish cinema in which stars such as Aurora Bautista, Sara Montiel, Ángela Molina, Carmen Maura, Victoria Abril, Marisa Paredes, and Penélope Cruz (among many others) have embodied the profound and diverse transformations women in Spain have undergone over the past century.

MoMu explores Palestinian embroidery and dress through the lenses of nature, splendour, power and change. Embroidery, called tatreez in Arabic, is the most important cultural practice of Palestine. Historically, Palestinian fashion was defined by diversity, with every region known for distinct textiles, styles and stitchwork. More than a craft, tatreez in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was a visual language shared by women, as embroidery reflected its maker’s identity and origins. This exhibition explores Palestinian embroidery and dress through the lenses of nature, splendour, power and change. Tatreez was a rural craft, embedded in women’s relationship to nature – from motifs inspired by Palestinian flora, to fabrics dyed with indigo grown in the Galilee. At the same time, the splendour of embroidery attested to women’s wealth and status. The wedding was a vital rite of passage, with sumptuous clothing a key element of celebrations. Golden thread, mother-of-pearl shoes, and elaborate headdresses offer a spectacular glimpse of local craftsmanship. Silver jewellery, along with certain tatreez motifs, also held talismanic significance, reflecting the power of clothing to affect and protect the body. Today, embroidery’s power lies in its connection to Palestinian identity, as a symbol of resistance and solidarity. Since the Nakba, or catastrophe, of 1948, which refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and the establishment of the state of Israel, tatreez has become a form of cultural resistance, an assertion of identity. The exhibition traces the politicisation of the craft, and the continued inspiration it provides to Palestinian fashion designers in the present.

MoMu celebrates 40 years of the Antwerp Six with a unique exhibition in 2026. In 2026, MoMu will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the international breakthrough of the Antwerp Six. This will be the first time that a major exhibition is devoted to these six iconic fashion designers. The exhibition highlights the unique trajectory that connects these six exceptional designers. It began with their study at the fashion department at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and resulted in six highly influential solo careers. In 1986, Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries Van Noten, Dirk Van Saene and Marina Yee put Antwerp on the fashion map when they each presented their own collections at the British Designer Show in London. This led to their international breakthrough and established the City of Antwerp as a capital of fashion. Their unique designs continue to influence international fashion today.