Some things have to be seen to be believed and comprehended.
The latest exhibition at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, “Fashioning Art from Paper,” is one such example.
Collecting the works of contemporary Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave, the exhibition features more than 100 pieces of painstaking, full-scale recreations of historic garments created entirely from hand-painted paper. Everything in the exhibition is paper, not just the Renaissance gowns and ballet tutus, but the buttons, jewelry, lace and other details.
Munson-Williams has been planning for de Borchgrave’s exhibit for nearly three years and was originally scheduled for the summer of 2020 before it was postponed due to the pandemic, said Anna Tobin D’Ambrosio, president and CEO of the arts institute.
“It’s just a wonderful way to continue to welcome people back after what’s been a really challenging year and a half for everyone,” D’Ambrosio said.
There are five sections to the exhibit, which stretches throughout the display space at the museum. The sections are papiers a la mode, which features fashion from Queen Elizabeth I to the early 20th century, kaftans inspired by Silk Road textiles, the Renaissance attire of the Medici family, the work of Spanish designer Mariano Fortuny and costumes worn by the Parisian troupe Ballets Russes.
It’s one of the largest and most complicated exhibitions to come to Munson-Williams in the past decade, D’Ambrosio said. In the lead-up to the opening, dozens of crates were opened, delicate paper costumes and dresses were removed and then put into place throughout the museum.
The museum was able to try new display techniques, like hanging the ballet pieces from the ceiling to give them a feeling of movement, D’Ambrosio said.
The exhibition is organized by Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, in cooperation with Isabelle de Borchgrave Studio.
Many of the pieces are based on portraits and other works of art, with the original textiles long since lost to time. Each costume, dress or piece of attire is carefully recreated by de Borchgrave and her team in a process that can take months for a single piece.
“In the exhibition, we’ll have a series of explanatory panels that show how a piece is made to give you a sense of the time and attention to detail that goes into it,” D’Ambrosio said. “We also will have an interpretative gallery with some hands-on material. Some videos will be incorporated into the exhibition and there are a couple pieces of her paper that you can touch.”
STORY:Sinegal brings professional and life experience to diversity leadership at MWPAI, ICAN
STORY:Art museums look to focus on marginalized Black artists and diversity initiatives
Visitors will come away with an appreciation of the artistry behind the paper pieces, but also the history and culture they represent, D’Ambrosio said.
“There’s so much depth in this exhibition that it really offers something for everyone,” she said.
While the exhibition has traveled around the country and internationally, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is the only northeast American venue for the tour. The closest the exhibition has come to the area was The Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh.
“It is part of our goal as an organization to bring arts experiences to our region that you can’t experience anyplace else,” D’Ambrosio said.
“Fashioning Art from Paper” opens on Oct. 17 and runs through Jan. 9 at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Museum of Art.
Steve Howe is the city reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email him at showe@gannett.com.
