Iris van Herpen's Mid-Career Retrospective Opens at Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum opens "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" on May 16, 2026, marking the designer's first major U.S. exhibition. Adapted from the 2023 Paris show at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the retrospective covers van Herpen's 19-year career and features 11 themed sections. Highlights include a living dress made of 125 million bioluminescent algae, a 3D-printed skeleton dress, and pieces worn by Beyoncé, Grimes, and Anne Hathaway. The exhibition pairs garments with artworks, such as a Naum Gabo sculpture and a fossil from the American Museum of Natural History. Van Herpen plans to create a dress in public during the show. The exhibition runs through December 6, 2026.
Key facts
- Exhibition opens May 16, 2026 at Brooklyn Museum, New York
- Adapted from 2023 Paris show at Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Curated by Matthew Yokobosky and Imani Williford
- Includes living dress made of 125 million bioluminescent algae
- Features 11 themed sections from micro to macro
- Beyoncé lent her 'Renaissance' tour dress
- Van Herpen to make a dress in public during the run
- Runs through December 6, 2026
Entities
Artists
- Iris van Herpen
- Cloé Pitiot
- Louise Curtis
- Matthew Yokobosky
- Imani Williford
- Eileen Gu
- Beyoncé
- Grimes
- Anne Hathaway
- Naum Gabo
- Rob Wynne
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Alexander McQueen
- Jun Takahashi
- Isaïe Bloch
- Shelee Carruthers
- Rogan Brown
- Jólan van der Wiel
- Daniel Widrig
- Domitille Kiger
- Loïe Fuller
- Andrew Bolton
Institutions
- Brooklyn Museum
- Musée des Arts Décoratifs
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Museum at FIT
- American Museum of Natural History
- NASA
- ArtEZ University of the Arts
Locations
- Brooklyn
- New York
- Paris
- Netherlands
- Amsterdam