Munich - Kunsthalle with Hair - Power - Desire
Exhibition tip: HAIR – POWER – DESIRE ... an exhibition explores surprising stories surrounding human hair
currently on display until October 4, 2026 at the Kunsthalle Munich (ENGLISH, ITALIANO, FRANÇAIS, DEUTSCH)
Munich. Hair is far more than a fashionable means of expression. It speaks of beauty and desire, power and powerlessness, conformity and rebellion. It acts as a universal language that has been negotiating social, cultural, and political issues for millennia. With HAIR – POWER – DESIRE, the Kunsthalle Munich presents a thematically curated, cross-cultural exhibition that illuminates the multifaceted meanings of head and body hair. On display are over 200 historical and contemporary works from important international collections such as the Prado, the Louvre, and the Rijksmuseum – interpretations of hair from Madrid, Paris, and Amsterdam. The paintings, sculptures, photographs, video works, jewelry, furniture, design objects, and couture creations unfold a multifaceted panorama of touching and surprising stories revolving around human hair. Fantastic hair creations in paintings by Sandro Botticelli, Filippo Negroli, Giorgio Vasari, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, John William Waterhouse, Alfons Mucha, and many other artists up to the present day.
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| Kunsthalle in Munich (left) - Photo from Marienhof towards the Theatinerkirche at Odeonsplatz, Photo: Helga Waess (Press Photo Archive) |
Hairstyles have always played a central role in communicating social status and societal norms.
Even in ancient Egypt, people dyed their hair and wore wigs – and to this day, carefully styled hair is considered a sign of self-presentation and belonging. The way head and body hair are styled also shapes ideas about gender and social roles – by confirming them, questioning them, or, as in drag, deliberately exaggerating them. For centuries, artists have used depictions of exceptionally hairy people to reflect on the boundary between nature and culture.
Furthermore, the exhibition explores the particular fascination that hair holds for people. It represents beauty and attractiveness – and at the same time carries an inherent ambivalence. In depictions of figures like Mary Magdalene or Medusa, it embodies both attraction and repulsion. Hair can also appear as a source of strength – as in the biblical story of Samson, whose strength lies in the length of his hair. The fact that it continues to grow throughout life – and according to popular belief, even beyond death – makes it a symbol of human vitality. Since the Renaissance, hair has therefore also served as a token of love or as a memorial to the deceased.
At the same time, the tour reveals that hair has always been a means of resistance
... – whether in the rebellious hairstyles of hippies and punks or in the uncovered hair of women during the recent Iranian protests for freedom and human rights. Even hair texture – for example, in the case of Black hair – can become a political symbol: distinctive hairstyles like the Afro become a sign of cultural identity and self-empowerment. Conversely, for centuries, cutting someone's hair was considered an act of humiliation and subjugation.
... The exhibition includes objects from prehistory and the Middle Ages, as well as works by:
Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510), Filippo Negroli (c. 1510–1579), Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574), Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617–1682), Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827–1875), John William Waterhouse (1849–1917), Alfons Mucha (1860–1939), Albert Weisgerber (1878–1915), J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere (1930–2014), Herlinde Koelbl (born 1939), Valie Export (born 1940), Pieter Hugo (born 1976), Simone Haack (born 1976) 1978) and Laetitia Ky (* 1996).
A comprehensive and richly illustrated publication has been released by
Hirmer Verlag
to accompany the exhibition,
... which delves deeper into the thematic tour and expands it with scholarly essays. Short texts on selected works illuminate background information and offer insights into fascinating stories surrounding hair.
Exhibition:
HAIR – POWER – DESIRE
on view until October 4, 2026
Kunsthalle Munich
Kunsthalle of the Hypo Cultural Foundation
FÜNF HÖFE Munich
Theatinerstraße 8, 80333 Munich
Opening Hours
- daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
With around 350,000 visitors annually, the Kunsthalle of the Hypo Cultural Foundation
The Kunsthalle Munich is one of Germany's most prestigious exhibition venues. Located in the heart of
Munich's city center, between Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz, in the Fünf Höfe (Five Courtyards).
The exhibition is traveling:
- From November 14, 2026 to April 18, 2027, the exhibition will be presented in a modified form at the Augustinermuseum Freiburg.
