Art Meets Fashion: A Stunning Exhibition Unveiled at the Gulbenkian Foundation

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG) in Lisbon is set to unveil a captivating exhibition, ‘Art and Fashion in the Gulbenkian Collection,’ on April 18th. The exhibition will run until June 22nd in the Main Gallery, remaining closed only on Tuesdays, and promises a unique exploration of the interwoven relationship between these two creative disciplines.

Curated by Eloy Martínez de la Peña, the exhibition delves into the surprising connections between artistic movements and haute couture, posing questions such as the links between Vivienne Westwood and the 18th-century French aesthetic, or the influence of Ancient Egyptian funerary masks on the work of Guo Pei. It aims to demonstrate how fashion both draws inspiration from and reinterprets art across centuries and cultures.

The FCG, established by the legacy of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian – a remarkable Ottoman Armenian petroleum engineer and businessman who ultimately settled in Lisbon – describes the exhibition as an immersive experience. It invites visitors to “enter a space where art breathes fashion and fashion awakens art,” highlighting the recurring motifs and shared sensibilities that connect seemingly disparate creative expressions.

The exhibition’s foundation lies in Calouste Gulbenkian’s own keen interest in both art and fashion, reflecting the trends of his time. The extensive and diverse Gulbenkian Collection, spanning from Ancient Egypt to the 20th century, provides a rich backdrop for exploring how artistic themes are continually revisited and reimagined within contemporary fashion, both nationally and internationally.

Visitors can expect to encounter approximately 100 works from the Gulbenkian Museum displayed alongside 140 garments from iconic designers. The lineup includes internationally renowned names like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as prominent Portuguese designers such as Alves/Gonçalves, José António Tenente, Maria Gambina, Nuno Baltazar, and Nuno Gama.

The exhibition isn’t simply a display of art and fashion side-by-side; it’s a dialogue. Paintings, sculptures, jewellery, and other objects are presented in conversation with fashion pieces that reinterpret, narrate, or complement them, creating unexpected and illuminating encounters. The aim is to reveal how the aesthetics and ideas within the Gulbenkian Collection can shed light on the world of fashion.

Ultimately, ‘Art and Fashion in the Gulbenkian Collection’ is an invitation to understand the enduring power of beauty and its transmission through time. The exhibition suggests that couture gowns, and clothing in general, can act as a “mirror,” reflecting the shared human desire to narrate our experiences, aspirations, and social realities – often revealing what remains unspoken.

A catalogue, featuring exclusive photographs by Jon Cazenave, accompanies the exhibition, further enriching the experience. This event forms a key part of the celebrations marking the FCG’s 70th anniversary, solidifying its commitment to fostering cultural understanding and appreciation.