Iris van Herpen's mid-career retrospective "Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses" has opened at the Brooklyn Museum, marking the designer's first major museum presentation in the United States. Originally mounted at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2023, the exhibition features over 140 haute couture looks alongside artworks, design objects, fossils, videos, and natural specimens. The show begins with a water-themed section and includes garments made from materials such as glass bubbles, bioluminescent algae, and 3D-printed polyamide, exploring themes of skeletal structures, primordial fear, and cosmic movements. A centerpiece room, the Atelier, displays swatches, prototypes, and experimental materials, highlighting van Herpen's scientific approach to fashion design.
This exhibition matters because it positions van Herpen, known for pioneering 3D printing in fashion nearly two decades ago, as a key figure at the intersection of art, science, and haute couture. By presenting her work in a major art museum context, the show challenges traditional boundaries between fashion and visual art, while also showcasing cutting-edge technologies like 4D printing. The inclusion of collaborations with architects, scientists, and biodesigners underscores the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary creative practice, making the exhibition relevant to discussions about innovation, materiality, and the future of design.