The Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia has opened a new exhibition titled "A World in the Making: The Shakers," which places the work of seven contemporary artists alongside over 100 historical Shaker objects. The show, a collaboration with the Vitra Design Museum and the Milwaukee Art Museum, draws heavily from the collection of the Shaker Museum in New York to explore the community's legacy of radical simplicity, order, and purpose.
The exhibition highlights the enduring cultural fascination with the Shakers, a nearly extinct religious sect, and seeks to bring their principles into dialogue with the present moment. By juxtaposing historic artifacts like furniture, tools, and publications with contemporary art, the show examines how the Shakers' commitment to faith, gender equality, and communal living continues to resonate and influence modern artistic practice.