Des cheveux et des poils, the hairy exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs - our photos

We won't beat around the bush, nor split hairs; let's say it straight out: the new exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs amuses us as much as it challenges us. An exhibition on hair , but what for? Certainly, it is not common to see such a subject being approached as a work of art. And yet!

With its unusual exhibition Des cheveux et des poils, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs continues to question our relationship to the body and our standards of beauty. To be seen from April 5 to September 17, 2023, this exhibition deciphers the fashion phenomena related to hair, social and cultural codes and norms, and the changes made over time...

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Hair is always changing: it grows, is cut, grows back (most of the time), can change color, shape, can be decorated, dressed, hidden... Hairs are also subject to these evolutionary rules: alternately celebrated, hated, shown, removed, they say a lot about our society. These natural attributes are used to show our power, our wealth, reinforce our gender criteria or are used as a symbol of protest.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs therefore questions our practices, while highlighting the many professionals and artists associated with our hair. Hairdressers, barbers, wigmakers, beauticians ... Among them, there are real stars, who have taken care of the heads and bodies of the great figures of our history.

Designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Alexander McQueen or Martin Margiela also prove that hair can be transformed into a work of art, presenting unusual and surprising creations.

Through this unusual gateway, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs takes us on a fascinating and highly instructive journey, which can summarize a part of our history. Religion, politics, fashion, health, changes in society: this hair is in fact the symbol of many rules that govern our societies and our bodies.

Very funny, full of surprises and rich of several hundreds of sculptures, paintings, old objects, advertisements or documents of the time, this exhibition captivates us at each chapter.

An inventive and surprising exhibition, not to be missed!