‘Manus x Machina’ exhibition extended
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art said last week it is extending the hours of the “Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology” exhibition that has drawn near-record visits.
The exhibition in the US museum’s Costume Institute explores handmade and machine-made creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to wear in more than 170 ensembles, with the oldest dating to the early 20th century.
“Manus” — hand — and “Machina” — machine — has attracted more than 664,000 visitors since its May 5 opening, the Met said. That has pushed it into the Costume Institute’s second place for attendance, topping “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” in 2011, which drew slightly more than 661,000 visitors.
The department’s most popular show, last year’s blockbuster “China: Through the Looking Glass”, attracted nearly 816,000 visitors and is the Met’s fifth most-visited exhibition.
The Met said it was adding six more hours of viewing time on “Manus x Machina’s final weekend. The museum will close at midnight on Sept 2-3, instead of its normal time at 9pm. The exhibition ends on Sept 5. The exhibition already was extended by three weeks from Aug14. The signature piece is a 2014 wedding ensemble with a 6m train by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel made of scuba knit, a synthetic material, and hand-embroidered.
Among the other designers are names from some of the world’s leading fashion houses, including Balenciaga, Pierre Cardin, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Yves Saint Laurent.
“Manus x Machina” was the inspiration for the Met’s annual gala this year, whose star-studded attendees included Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Bradley Cooper and Johnny Depp.