"There are moments when The Metropolitan Museum of Art reminds us that it is not a repository of objects but a living organismone that breathes, resonates, and listens. The forthcoming exhibition Musical Bodies, opening June 1 through September 27, 2026, embodies that truth. It is a meditation on the oldest instruments we possessour own bodiesand on the timeless desire to transform motion into music, and music into memory."
"Conceived by Dr. Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, Curator in the Department of Musical Instruments, Musical Bodies will feature more than 130 works spanning centuries and civilizations. From sculptures that echo rhythm to violins shaped like torsos, it explores how artists across cultures have mirrored anatomy through sound, crafting instruments that reflect belief, emotion, and identity. Our bodies are the oldest instruments we have, Strauchen-Scherer observed. Whether clapping, tapping, or whistling, we express ourselves through rhythm."
Musical Bodies opens June 1 through September 27, 2026 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and centers on the body as the oldest musical instrument. Dr. Bradley Strauchen-Scherer conceived the exhibition and curated more than 130 works spanning centuries and civilizations. The show juxtaposes instruments with paintings, manuscripts, and costumes to blur art and anthropology. Objects range from sculptures that echo rhythm to violins shaped like torsos, highlighting how makers mirrored anatomy through sound to reflect belief, emotion, and identity. The exhibition presents each object as a study in transformation—the curve of a horn echoing breath, a drum reflecting heartbeat, and performers embodying sculpture in motion.
Read at www.amny.com
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