In Shape

That search for the ideal body is not new. For centuries we have been using all kinds of means to change our contours and adapt them to the prevailing beauty image. While the fashion kings and queens determined the silhouette, it was the underwear that actually shaped the body. Corsets strapped into the waist, bustles enlarged the buttocks, bras flattened the bosom or lifted it up, and briefs and belts made everything smooth.

In the exhibition In Shape, the body is central as a field where design, fashion and social norms intersect, and we show the role that underwear has played in it. The exhibition shows how we have shaped our bodies over the centuries, not only with textiles and technique, but also by power, identity and desires. Using underwear for different areas of focus such as shoulders, chest, waist, buttocks and hips, legs and cross, we show how attention shifted over time and what means were used for this.

Sometimes it is about forming the body about power and discipline, sometimes about temptation and consumption, often about both at the same time. Women's bodies, men's bodies, and all the bodies in between are treated differently in this process, but constantly touch each other in visual culture, fashion and desire. The exhibition In Shape makes it visible that design not only shapes our clothing, but also our bodies and challenges visitors to think about the strength, temptation and the risks of that manufacturability.

Text - und Bildquelle : Museumswebsite