Inside The Met Costume Institute's 2019 Exhibition

Inside The Met Costume Institute’s 2019 Exhibition: Notes On Camp

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Inside The Met Costume Institute’s 2019 Exhibition: Notes On Camp ⇒ Inspired by Jan Versweyveld’s frequent use of text in his work, the Met Costume Institute presents ‘Notes on Camp’, an exhibition was loosely structured around the etymological origins of camp – as a verb, adjective, and noun. Versweyveld began his design process as he would with a new play. After picking our favourite camp looks from the amazing Met Gala, today CovetED takes you inside this year’s Met Costume Institute exhibition with head curator Andrew Bolton and acclaimed theatrical designer Jan Versweyveld.

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Inside The Met Costume Institute's 2019 Exhibition: Notes On Camp

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“I see Andrew as kind of a director, who’s writing the story at the same time, which is not always easy, and I’m the one who has to relate to it and mould it in a design that will bring out the best in what he’s intending to show,” says Versweyveld. “I felt really at home. I could relate to Andrew, the Met, and the collaborators as I relate to people in the theatre. It’s a lot of departments, a lot of things changing, and I’m very open to it.”

Inside The Met Costume Institute's 2019 Exhibition Notes On Camp

The exhibition begins in the 1600s at the court of Versailles, the era of Louis XIV. “He didn’t know he was inventing camp, but he did!” says Versweyveld, who created a warren of rooms that grow as the decades progress, ultimately opening into a large Venetian-style piazza. In the space dedicated to Sontag, text from “Notes on Camp” is seen being typed out in real time, running above the fashions.

Inside The Met Costume Institute's 2019 Exhibition Notes On Camp

The penultimate room combines fashion with art, both high and low, from masterpieces to product design. Versweyveld took a similar fusion-based approach to his design. “To me, light and space are the same things; they come together,” says Versweyveld. “I’m not an experienced exhibition designer, but being able to think in that unity helped.”

Inside The Met Costume Institute's 2019 Exhibition Notes On Camp

With no shortage of potential exhibits, Bolton arrived at a fairly simple selection criterion. “As I was going through everything, my defining characteristic was, ‘Is this too much?’” he says. “Because ‘too much’ is one of the most defining characteristics of camp – too many sequins, too many feathers, too many bows. That was always my yardstick.”

Inside The Met Costume Institute's 2019 Exhibition Notes On Camp

“I hope it will change how people think of fashion a bit, as an art form that shapes our society and our world,” says Versweyveld. “I was so surprised to see how true camp is a mirror of our society, and it gives us a mirror. It dares to ask us questions about how we’re living. Although people may think fashion is an elite form of art, I hope this show makes the opposite clear.”