Iris van Herpen Sculpting the Senses

Rotterdam ( NL) >2709.2025 - 01.03.2026

This coming autumn, Kunsthal Rotterdam’s HALL 2 will be entirely dedicated to the work of the world-famous Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen (1984). Van Herpen is one of the most avant-garde couturiers of her generation. With her pioneering use of innovative techniques in her profession, Van Herpen breaks with fashion conventions while at the same time embracing the traditional craftsmanship of haute couture. The exhibition Sculpting the Senses is a sensory exploration of the designer’s universe and presents an immersive retrospective that brings together fashion, contemporary art, design, and science. The Kunsthal is showcasing over a hundred iconic creations that illustrate how Van Herpen is constantly stretching the boundaries of haute couture.

Sculpting the Senses celebrates Van Herpen’s multidisciplinary approach and offers a spectacular overview of her wide-ranging body of work. Her creations are highlighted through nine themes, a 21st-century cabinet of curiosities, and a replica of her Amsterdam atelier. The dazzling exhibition design guides visitors through immersive spaces, accompanied by a multisensory soundscape by Salvador Breed.

Position of the body

From the tiniest to the biggest scale, the exhibition raises questions about the position of the body in the space, the relationship between clothes and the environment, and the future of the body in our rapidly changing world. In the exhibition, Van Herpen’s haute-couture pieces enter into a dialogue with contemporary artworks by, among others, Collectif Mé, Philip Beesley, Wim Delvoye, Kate MccGwire, Damien Jalet, Kohei Nawa, Casey Curran, Rogan Brown, Jacques Rougerie, and Tomáš Libertíny and with design objects by Neri Oxman, Ren Ri and Ferruccio Laviani.
Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen (1984) grew up in the Dutch village of Wamel. She first discovered her passion for fashion in her grandmother’s attic, where she stumbled upon a mini museum of garments and costumes that opened her gaze towards a different era. After graduating from the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, she worked for Alexander McQueen in London, and Claudy Jongstra in Amsterdam. In 2007, she established her own label and presented her first collection during Amsterdam Fashion Week. In 2011, at the age of 27, Van Herpen joined the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris. Her creations are included in a variety of collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Publication

The exhibition Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses will be accompanied by an English-language catalogue of the same name, 256 pages, ISBN 9789020987430. This book is available at the Kunsthal Shop and Kunsthal Webshop as of 27 September.

Collaboration

The exhibition Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses is organised by Kunsthal Rotterdam in close collaboration with Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, and Maison Iris van Herpen, based on the original exhibition, designed by Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

Text - und Bildquelle : Museumswebsite

Kunsthal Rotterdam
Museumpark
Westzeedijk 341
3015 AA Rotterdam
Niederlande

weitere Infos: www.kunsthal.nl/en/plan-your-visit/exhibitions/iris-van-herpen/