Throughout history, men have created countless heroic ideals for themselves: radiant victors, autocratic creators, images of God. But on closer inspection every ideal turns out to be a task too big, ultimately overwhelming the man.
The fourth exhibition by the two guest curators Stefan Zweifel and Juri Steiner at the National Museum Zurich takes a stroll through the European cultural history of mankind.
Eyewitnesses from the past two millennia, drawn from philosophy, society and medicine, illustrate the concept of masculinity and the struggle surrounding it. Its traces can be found through the ages, in art, history, literature and cinema. Don't forget your headphones! The image of masculinity has changed constantly over the past few decades. Nowhere is this more apparent than in football. A look back at the stadiums of the past. In , men marched off in a rush of euphoria to join the fighting in World War I.
They were following an ideal of masculinity that would be torn to pieces in a blaze of automatic gunfire. The ideal of the glorious knight turned out to be a cruel mirage. The National Museum Zurich takes a stroll through the European cultural history of the male.
Eyewitnesses from the past 2, years, drawn from philosophy, society and medicine, illustrate the concept of maleness and the struggle surrounding it. If we take a closer look, these ideals often turn out to be a task too big, ultimately overwhelming the man. Featuring around objects from cultural history and art history, including precious items on loan from London, Vienna and Paris, the exhibition examines how ideals of masculinity have changed over the centuries.
