Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art

The first global survey exhibition dedicated to the use of clothing as a medium of visual art is opening at the Museum of Arts and Design this weekend! Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art examines work by thirty-five international contemporary artists, from established names to emerging voices, several of whom will be exhibiting for the first time in the United States. By either making or altering clothing for expressive purposes, these artists create garments, sculpture, installation, and performance art that transforms dress into a critical tool. Adopted globally as an artistic strategy, garmenting uses the language of fashion to challenge traditional divisions of form and function, cast a critical eye on the construction of gender, advance political activism, and address cultural difference.

Live performances and activations involving five of the featured artists in Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art will be presented on-site throughout the exhibition. Garmenting: Costume as Contemporary Art will be on display from Saturday, March 12 through Sunday, August 14 at MAD (2 Columbus Circle). Admission is $18 for adults, $14 for seniors, $12 for students and free for members. Click here to learn more and purchase tickets.

Photo credit: Mary Sibande (South Africa, b. 1982), The Domba Dance, 2019. Courtesy the artist and Kavi Gupta, Chicago. Photo: John Lusis