Iris van Herpen’s Groundbreaking Work Presented in New Exhibit at Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum presents 'Iris Van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses,' a mid-career retrospective showcasing her fusion of technology and craftsmanship, including 3D-printed garments and collaborations with scientists. The exhibit features new works like Anne Hathaway’s algae dress and iconic pieces worn by Lady Gaga and Björk, alongside scientific artifacts and immersive themes spanning astronomy, biology, and mineralogy.
Iris van Herpen’s innovative work in fashion, blending technology and art, takes center stage in a new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. The retrospective, titled *Sculpting the Senses*, highlights her groundbreaking 2010 3D-printed top—a collaboration with British architect Daniel Widrig—and her subsequent collaborations with architects, scientists, and artists to push fashion’s boundaries. Opening Saturday, the show includes pieces from her 2023 Paris debut, now augmented with new works such as a crimson plissé gown for Anne Hathaway’s *Mother Mary* and a luminescent algae dress from her 2025 *Sympoiesis* collection, grown with living algae in seawater. Organized by curators Matthew Yokobosky and Imani Williford, the exhibition merges van Herpen’s designs with scientific artifacts, including coral, fossils, and skeletons, alongside feminist and contemporary art. Themes explore her fascination with mathematics, neuroscience, and marine biology, presented through 11 immersive segments. Dutch composer Salvador Breed, van Herpen’s partner, curated the exhibition’s soundscape, enhancing the sensory experience. Notable highlights include Björk’s 2012 snake dress, Beyoncé’s *Renaissance* tour look, and a 2016 bubble dress featuring 15,000 handcrafted glass bubbles. The algae dress, a collaboration with biodesigner Chris Bellamy, is displayed in an environmentally controlled chamber. The show originated at Paris’s Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 2023 and has since traveled to Australia, Singapore, and Rotterdam before its U.S. premiere. Van Herpen’s work redefines fashion as a dialogue between science and nature, reflecting her belief that technology and tradition can coexist. The Brooklyn Museum’s iteration emphasizes her interdisciplinary approach, from 3D printing to bioengineering, offering a rare glimpse into how art and innovation intersect. The exhibition runs through [date not specified in source], inviting visitors to explore the fusion of creativity and cutting-edge research.
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