The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has opened a major exhibition titled 'Metamorphoses,' inspired by Ovid's poem. The show brings together Renaissance masterpieces, antiquities, and contemporary works, grouping them by the myths they depict to explore themes of transformation, desire, and gender through striking visual juxtapositions.
The exhibition's curation successfully creates a substantive dialogue across centuries, but it has drawn criticism for adopting a politically 'neutral' stance that avoids engaging directly with the challenging contemporary discourse surrounding the sexual violence, queerness, and intersex identity present in many of the ancient myths. This hedging raises questions about the museum's willingness to confront the darker implications of its own blockbuster material.