Cindy Sherman's First Spanish Solo Show in 20 Years Explores Performed Femininity

Cindy Sherman's exhibition 'The Women' at Hauser & Wirth Menorca marks her first solo presentation in Spain in over two decades. Running until 26 October 2025, the show draws from her extensive archive of staged female identities spanning from the 1970s to the 2010s. The exhibition opens with the influential 'Untitled Film Stills' series from 1977–1980, which mimics mid-20th-century film publicity stills. Sherman's early student work, including 'The Bus Riders' and 'Murder Mystery' series, already demonstrated her fascination with character and stereotype. Her practice has evolved over five decades, with later series like 'Society Portraits', 'Ominous Landscapes', and 'Flappers' exploring aging, technology, and grotesque glamour. The exhibition title references Clare Boothe Luce's 1936 all-female stage play, connecting to generations of women performing femininity. Sherman's work has influenced younger artists including Alex Prager, Juno Calypso, and Nadia Lee Cohen, who continue exploring performance, gender, and artificiality through photography. Throughout her career, Sherman has resisted autobiography, instead embodying multiple personas that question visual representation. Her images challenge beauty norms and societal expectations while examining the psychological cost of constant visibility. The exhibition presents women as both stereotypes and individuals, powerful yet fragile, reflecting Sherman's vision of womanhood as an unstable negotiation with culture.