The Metropolitan Museum of Art is facing objections from donors and New York political figures over its planned Costume Institute exhibition “John Galliano: Horizons.”
Scheduled to run from May 9, 2027, through Jan. 9, 2028, the exhibition will be the first major museum retrospective devoted to Galliano’s four-decade career.
The dispute concerns both Galliano’s past conduct and the timing of the Met Gala associated with the exhibition. The gala traditionally takes place on the first Monday in May, which falls on May 3 in 2027.
Yom HaShoah, the Jewish day of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust, will begin at sundown that evening and continue through the following night. Yad Vashem’s official state opening ceremony is also scheduled for the evening of May 3.
Galliano was dismissed from Christian Dior following antisemitic and racist remarks made in 2010 and 2011. A French court subsequently convicted him of making public insults based on race, religion, ethnicity or origin.
According to The New York Times, as cited by ARTnews, several donors have told Met officials that they may withdraw or withhold gifts if the exhibition proceeds.
Pace Gallery founder Arne Glimcher reportedly raised his objections in an email to David Breslin, the Met’s curator in charge of modern and contemporary art. Glimcher said that he and his wife, Milly, were reconsidering works from their collection intended for the museum through their wills. The works involved and the legal status of any promised gifts remain unclear.
Elisha Wiesel, the son of Holocaust survivor and writer Elie Wiesel, has also opposed the project. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin urged Met director Max Hollein, Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton and Vogue editorial director Anna Wintour to reconsider the exhibition.
Others within the institution have argued that the museum should proceed while addressing the controversy directly. Met trustee Andrew Solomon said engaging with the dispute would be preferable to cancelling the show. The criticism has reportedly prompted further discussion among board members.
The Met plans to organise the exhibition in three sections. The first will directly address Galliano’s discriminatory conduct, his dismissal and conviction, and the ways those events altered the reception of his work. The remaining sections will examine his sources, design process, garments and technical experimentation.
Hollein said the museum does not tolerate antisemitism, racism or prejudice and is consulting Jewish leaders and other stakeholders. The Met has not announced a cancellation or change to the exhibition dates.
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