The Museum of Fashion Antwerp (MoMu) has launched a thought-provoking exhibition titled "GIRLS: On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between," opening September 27th to explore the multifaceted nature of girlhood in contemporary culture. Curated by Elisa De Wyngaert, the exhibition features works by renowned artists including Louise Bourgeois, Chopova Lowena, Meret Oppenheim, Harley Weir, and Tina Barney, among others, challenging traditional Western art's rigid portrayal of girls and young women.

The exhibition emerges at a time when interest in girlhood has been growing across media, art, fashion, and visual culture. De Wyngaert's curatorial approach seeks to raise questions about the definition of girlhood and the complex system of symbols and meanings associated with it, rather than providing definitive answers. The curator emphasizes that celebrating the richness and complexity of girlhood represents a political statement, particularly when many teenagers are facing restrictions on their rights.

De Wyngaert's vision draws inspiration from feminist philosopher Adriana Cavarero's concept of a new positionality, where subjects do not stand alone but incline toward others, recognizing uniqueness through relationships with alterity. This approach embraces fluidity and openness to change through relationality. The curator deliberately chose to center LGBTQIA+ youth and collaborated directly with today's teenagers, moving away from compartmentalized views of girlhood toward a more inclusive, multimedia approach.

The exhibition's title reflects its exploration of liminal spaces—both conceptual and physical—where girls have been placed and represented throughout history. "On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between" examines the freedom that can be found in marginality and the right to self-determination, especially for young people navigating between definitions, opinions, and life stages. The concept emerged from De Wyngaert's previous work on the exhibition "ECHO: Wrapped in Memory" in 2023, where she found herself continually returning to stories and memories of teenage girls and how these experiences continue to influence artists and designers.

Regarding the focus on boredom, De Wyngaert explains that in today's productivity-obsessed society, where young people are overwhelmed with activities and stimuli rather than experiencing boredom, this state has become a rare luxury. She notes that photographer Lauren Greenfield describes boredom as "the highest state," explaining that it fuels creativity and represents a central aspect of teenage years often depicted in cinema, from "The Virgin Suicides" to countless coming-of-age films. Child psychiatrist Peter Adriaenssens, who collaborated on the exhibition, describes adolescent boredom as a period when "the teenage brain is reshaping itself, pruning old connections and forming new ones" while "childhood is unraveling, leaving loose threads searching for adulthood."

The exhibition's approach to gender identity reflects contemporary understanding of fluidity and transition. De Wyngaert explains that "In Between" refers not only to the space between childhood and adulthood but also connects to gender identity. She notes that in the early 20th century, children's fashion became sharply gendered, with boys moving into shorts and trousers by age six while girls' clothing remained decorative and restrictive, anticipating their future domestic roles. Drawing on Judith Butler's "Gender Trouble" (1990), the exhibition presents gender expression as continually shaped by culture and experience rather than fixed, with trans and non-binary perspectives expanding views of girlhood as a fluid, evolving space of identity.

The curatorial selection includes photographers from different generations who have shaped portrayals of girlhood, including Lauren Greenfield, Nigel Shafran, Roni Horn, Micaiah Carter, Nancy Honey, Leticia Valverdes, Eimear Lynch, and Petra Collins. De Wyngaert emphasizes that their work never treats girls as objects but approaches them with respect, often co-created or shaped by teenagers' personal boundaries and agency. The exhibition also features fashion designers like Simone Rocha, Molly Goddard, Chopova Lowena, and Jenny Fax, who have crafted personal visions of girlhood and early womanhood, disrupting traditional femininity.

Addressing the tension between societal expectations and individual identity, De Wyngaert references Susan Sontag's observation that society demands women look like girls forever while expecting them to act like women, whereas "boys will be boys indefinitely." Rather than focusing on a boys-versus-girls opposition, the exhibition explores how fashion and art have long drawn on girlhood archetypes—Mary Janes, bows, miniskirts, school uniforms, glitter, Peter Pan collars—examining how these motifs carry layered meanings that shift from innocence to rebellion.

The exhibition confronts questions of visibility and representation, examining how girls want to be seen and the consent involved in showing themselves, their bodies, and their images. De Wyngaert notes that historically, young girls in art were often anonymous subjects—"a silent subject, a daughter of"—playing piano, holding kittens, or clasping hands politely, with poses and props signaling virtue and innocence without asserting themselves. She criticizes how art centered on girlhood has often been dismissed as sentimental or lacking intellectual rigor, overlooking its emotional, psychological, and political depth.

The exhibition positions girlhood not merely as a theme but as a way of seeing, recognizing that for many women artists and designers, adolescence remains central to their work throughout their lives. De Wyngaert emphasizes that girlhood isn't something people leave behind but rather a perspective that continues to shape how they view the world. The exhibition asks fundamental questions through artworks and a final video installation: When do you become a girl, and when do you stop being one? Is it decided by you or imposed by others? Is girlhood just a phase, or also a mindset, feeling, or aura you carry?

The exhibition team includes guest film curator Claire Marie Healy, exhibition designer Janina Pedan, and graphic designer Paul Boudens. "GIRLS: On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between" invites reflection on which emotions, memories, and impulses from girlhood continue to shape individuals later in life, emphasizing that what people choose to carry with them should remain a personal decision. The exhibition aligns with PhotoVogue's "Women by Women" global open call launched this year, contributing to broader conversations about female representation in visual culture.