The Met extends Manus x Machina exhibit

The Met's "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology" exhibit has been extended through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. This adds three weeks on from the original planned closing date of August 14, 2016.

The exhibition, which was organized by The Costume Institute, opened to the public on May 5, 2016, and has drawn in over 350,000 visitors in its first nine weeks.

"With the transformation of the Robert Lehman Wing into a breathtaking cathedral to couture, we want to give as many people as possible the chance to experience this exhibition," said Thomas P. Campbell, director and ceo of The Met. "The show invites visitors to explore the artistry of over 170 haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles. It is a wonderful way to discover the magic behind the making of fashion."

Manus x Machina extended through Labor Day

To date, the exhibition's attendance ranks just behind "China: Through the Looking Glass" from 2015, and "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" from 2011, which were the Met's fifth and eighth most popular exhibitions, both of which were also extended. All three exhibits were curated by Andrew Bolton, who is now Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute.

"China: Through the Looking Glass" had a total of 815,992 viewers, and "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" brought in 661,509 viewers.

Originally scheduled to close on August 14, the exhibition explores how designers reconcile the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear. It addresses the distinction between the hand (manus) and the machine (machina) as discordant tools in the creative process, and questions the changing delineation between haute couture and ready-to-wear.

photo via Met Press Office