Cindy Sherman's First Major Belgian Solo Exhibition at FOMU Antwerp
Antwerp’s premier photography museum, FOMU, is hosting a major exhibition dedicated to the influential American artist Cindy Sherman. Running from September 28, 2024, to February 2, 2025, this landmark event represents the first comprehensive solo presentation of the artist's work in Belgium. Spanning five decades of pioneering photography, the exhibition brings together over 100 works to offer visitors a deep look into the evolution of Sherman's career.
Challenging Beauty Standards: The "Anti-Fashion" Collection
At the heart of this presentation is Anti-Fashion, a multi-floor exploration that examines Sherman's career-long dialogue with the fashion industry. Since the 1980s, she has regularly collaborated with world-renowned fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons, and John Galliano, as well as landmark publications including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Interview.
Rather than producing traditional, high-glamour imagery, Sherman uses these commissions to subvert commercial conventions. Her photographs feature unusual, sometimes unsettling characters that directly challenge mainstream ideals of beauty and aging. This segment of the exhibition was organized by the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart in partnership with the artist's New York studio and the Hauser & Wirth gallery.
Early Masterpieces and the Antwerp Ensor 2024 Celebration
In addition to her fashion-focused imagery, the museum is presenting Early Works 1975–1980, a collection developed in collaboration with the VERBUND COLLECTION in Vienna. This section provides valuable context on Sherman's artistic foundations, showcasing experimental projects from her student years alongside her celebrated Untitled Film Stills series, which originally brought her international acclaim in the late 1970s.
By acting as her own model, Sherman uses makeup, costumes, and elaborate disguises to dismantle cultural stereotypes, film tropes, and media-driven gender roles. This thematic focus on performance and identity links the exhibition to Antwerp's city-wide Ensor 2024 cultural program, which marks 75 years since the death of Belgian master James Ensor. Much like Ensor, Sherman uses the concept of the mask to offer a sharp critique of societal norms.
Planning Your Museum Visit in Antwerp
For visitors wishing to take a piece of this artistic journey home, an accompanying 184-page hardcover book, Cindy Sherman - Anti-Fashion, has been published by Hannibal Books and is available for purchase for €59.
If you are planning your next cultural excursion in the city, let Musemap (musemap.art) help you navigate the local art scene. You can easily browse outstanding Antwerp museums or view current exhibitions using our interactive Antwerp cultural map to make the most of your gallery visits.
