Bodies In Art.
The theme for the Met Gala 2026 has been confirmed by Vogue and the Metropolitan Museum of Art as “Costume Art.” Curator Andrew Bolton described the concept as an examination of “the centrality of the dressed body in the museum’s vast collection,” positioning the human form and fashion as the constant across 5,000 years of art. The accompanying exhibition, which opens on May 10, 2026, will introduce a significant new permanent gallery space for the Costume Institute and will display approximately 200 garments paired directly with 200 artworks such as paintings and sculptures, to establish a dialogue between bodies in art and bodies in dress, organized by thematic groupings like “the Naked Body” and “the Pregnant Body.” This is Bolton’s first theme without a subtitle, marking a bold statement of intent to focus on the equivalency of artworks and bodies.
What are your thoughts on the theme?
