In Shape

This quest for the ideal body is not a new phenomenon. For centuries, we have used all kinds of means to change our contours and adapt them to the prevailing ideal of beauty. While the fashion kings and queens determined the silhouette, it was the undergarments that actually shaped the body. Corsets cinched the waist, bustles enlarged the buttocks, bras flattened or lifted the bust, and briefs and girdles smoothed everything out.

In the exhibition In Shape, the body takes centre stage as a terrain where design, fashion and social norms intersect, and we show the role that underwear has played in this. The exhibition shows the ways in which we have shaped our bodies over the centuries, not only with textiles and technology, but also through power, identity and desires. Using underwear for different areas of focus such as shoulders, chest, waist, buttocks and hips, legs and crotch, we show how attention has shifted over time and what means were used to achieve this.

Sometimes shaping the body is about power and discipline, sometimes about seduction and consumption, often about both at the same time. Women’s bodies, men’s bodies, and all other bodies are treated differently in this process, but constantly intersect in visual culture, fashion, and desire. The exhibition shows that design shapes not only what we wear but also our bodies themselves, prompting visitors to reflect on the power, seduction, and risks of that malleability.