Over 800,000 visitors can’t be wrong.
If I mention some of the most visited exhibits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s storied past, you might not be able to name any of their top five. With names like Treasures of Tutankhamun (1978), Mona Lisa (1963), and Painters in Paris (2000), it might ring a bell or make you wonder how come you couldn’t guess at such iconic exhibits. Well, joining such hallowed company is the Costume Institute’s China Exhibit China: Through the Looking Glass, which became the Met’s fifth most visited exhibit in their history when it closed this week.
The exhibit was curated by Andrew Bolton and was a collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art. Over 800,000 visitors from May 7th to September 7th flocked to see the massive 30,000 square feet collection that explored the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China’s influence fashionable imagination throughout time. Although the exhibit was set to close on August 16th, it was extended by three weeks along with a few hours on September 4th and 5th. This record breaking exhibit was made possible by Yahoo, with help from Condé Nast and several Chinese donors.
What were your favorite looks from this year’s Met Costume Institute Gala?