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The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg is currently presenting the group exhibition Glitter. Glitter sparkles and shimmers, fascinates and outrages. It can be found on the stage as well as on protest posters and in children’s rooms. Glitter is omnipresent – and yet the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) is the first museum in the world to dedicate an exhibition to this material. The show will focus on glitter as a symbol of belonging, empowerment and self-determination and highlight its use in political contexts and collective movements. Around 40 international examples from the worlds of art and design are brought together here – works that make use of glitter as an expression of collective exuberance and “queer joy”, as a means of protest, in performance and pop culture, and as a symbol of drawing attention to marginalised groups and of resistance against body shaming. The exhibits include a glittering teen bedroom designed by Hamburg artist Jenny Schäfer, photographs by Quil Lemons, skateboards by Mickalene Thomas, GIFs by Molly Soda, show wigs designed by Hamburg wig wizards Karl Gadzali and Mohamad Barakat-Götz for Olivia Jones, and a stage outfit worn by Bill Kaulitz. Starting in June 2025, the exhibition will add 300 square metres of fuchsia glitter with the spatial installation “Puff Out” by the Turkish-Belgian duo :mentalKLINIK.
Visitor participation is encouraged – people can for example send in their favourite private objects in advance of the opening, add important glitter events to a sparkling timeline or design their own glittering items in the DIY room.
Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media: “There may have been more tinsel in the past, but today we have more glitter! The MK&G is dedicating an entire exhibition to these tiny particles that often elicit such strong emotions. Glitter is more than just sparkling decoration – it is a symbol of visibility, self-determination and resistance. It fascinates and provokes in equal measure. The exhibition ‘Glitter’ explores the material’s varied uses and their meanings …
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Image above: Hannah Altman, Untitled III, from the series “And Everything Nice”, 2015, © Hannah Altman
