Matthew Yokobosky Curates “Solid Gold” Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum
Inspired by Aya Nakamura’s Dior Haute Couture at the Paris Olympics, Yokobosky decided to include the dress in his Brooklyn Museum exhibition.
Although the exhibition titled “Solid Gold” was nearly finalized, Nakamura’s performance, where she dazzled a global audience with her hits “Pookie” and “Djadja,” inspired him to make this addition.
The custom dress, designed by Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, features hundreds of gold-painted feathers intricately hand-embroidered by Lemarié artisans. “It’s one thing to see [the dress] on TV,” Yokobosky told WWD. “But when it arrived and we opened the crate and saw all those golden rooster feathers, everyone gasped. It’s thrilling to see these garments up close—the fabrics and techniques used to create them. People want to have those feelings.”
A Thematic Exploration of Gold
The theme of gold is broad, yet it aligns with the museum’s 200th anniversary and touches on every era of human history, from ancient Egyptian sarcophagi to the glamorous gowns showcased by designer John Galliano in the 2024 spring haute couture runway. “Solid Gold” features 250 objects from the museum’s archives and another 250 on loan.
The exhibition is organized into nine distinct sections, each examining different aspects of gold in history and culture, including Ancient Gold, Fashioning Gold, and Crowned: From Egyptian Queens to Hip-Hop Kings. The exhibition will showcase Marc Quinn’s Siren (Kate Moss), a life-size sculpture made of solid 18-karat gold, alongside Nam June Paik’s 2005 video installation Golden Buddha in the Ancient Gold section. Vintage Cartier cigarette cases are displayed alongside 6th century C.E. earrings in the Fashioning Gold area. The Crowned section juxtaposes a circa 120 to 130 C.E. Egyptian mummy portrait with Barron Claiborne’s iconic 1997 portrait of rapper Notorious B.I.G. wearing a $6 plastic crown.
“I really tried to make each section feel like a distinct experience,” Yokobosky, the museum’s senior curator of fashion and material culture, explained.
“I wanted it to be like a movie, where each scene transitions to another, creating interconnections.”
Rarely Seen Treasures
“Solid Gold” includes unique pieces from the museum’s archives, such as a large sarcophagus lid from Dynasty 22 (945 to 740 B.C.E.), which hasn’t been displayed in over a century, and the Lunar Moth baby grand piano, restored and on public view for the first time since its creation by photographer and painter Edward Steichen in 1928. This piano, one of only two designed by Steichen, features in his portraits of luminaries like George Gershwin.
The exhibit also showcases over 180 gold items from the Hellenistic period, along with ancient jewelry and chainmail spanning three millennia across Egypt, the Mediterranean, and pre-Hispanic Americas. Yokobosky has woven contemporary fashion and jewelry into the narrative of “Solid Gold.”
“When I started working on the show, I made a list of designers known for their beautiful gold work,” he said. “From there, I built tableaus of different groupings that resonate with each other aesthetically.”
Notable works include pieces by Mary McFadden and David and Philippe, featuring shoes designed for The Blonds by Christian Louboutin. Yokobosky expressed interest in various techniques used in gold fashion, highlighting McFadden’s collection where chiffon was painted with gold paint.
The exhibition features gowns from French designer Marc Bohan of Dior made from silk and steel thread, including a gold lamé Grecian gown worn by Lauren Hutton in the 1982 film All Fired Up. Tina Turner’s 1989 gold pearl bustier dress by Azzedine Alaïa and various gold-embellished coats from Anna Sui are also on display, along with a 1969 Klimt dress by Giorgio di Saint’Angelo.
Yokobosky noted the importance of creating a visual learning experience for museum-goers.
“People often don’t read all the labels and panels, so part of curating is to create opportunities for a visual experience,” he said.
“I believe people visit museums for a non-verbal experience. I’ve been considering the lighting and the soundtrack to connect the different scenes. I’m working with a sound designer to create what I call a sound net, which helps knit together the scenes. My goal is to provide an experience that is both visually engaging and educational.”
