Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1541487
Y et again, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's g r o u n d - b r e a k i n g Wo r t h a m C u r a t o r of Latin American A r t M a r i C a r m e n Ramírez rewrites art history with "Gyula Kosice: Intergalactic," now on view. This renowned Argentine polymath — billed as a sculptor, painter, poet, and theorist — wows in a two-part exhibition that begins in the Beck Building, then concludes at the Kinder Building with the artist's decades-spanning magnum opus, La ciudad hidroespacial (The Hydrospatial City), 1946-1972. We'll call Kosice (1924-2016) a futurist, not only for his innovative firsts in employing the then-novel medium of plastic, but also for his use of water and light — and, above all, his cosmic vision of humans living in orbiting pods spun around the solar system. "Intergalactic" marks a curatorial collaboration between the MFAH's Ramírez and María Amalia García, chief curator of Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA). The exhibition brings fresh scholarship paired with conservation of key art works to showcase an unorthodox, mod talent whose sculptures remain fresh, utopian, and uncannily prophetic. Through January 25, 2026; mfah.org. Catherine D. Anspon OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. T he intersection of art and fashion is a topic that continues to inform the zeitgeist (think Louis Vuitton's ongoing collab with Yayoi Kusama). This spring, the venerable Musée du Louvre joined the conversation, volleying "Louvre Couture" into the universe, its first fashion exhibition. Now that exhibit crosses the pond, landing in Houston in an opulent show that activates the galleries at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, staged across the first and second levels of the Beck Building and the second level of the Kinder Building. Fashion seekers will swoon with the lineup of 36 ensembles culled from two dozen houses — heritage (Balenciaga, Chanel, and Christian Dior to Givenchy, Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Vivienne Westwood) as well as designers established in the 21st century, including Thom Browne, Erdem, and Jacquemus. Among the scene-stealers that converse Blast Off: Cosmic Kosice Louvre Couture with artworks and objects from the MFAH's permanent collection are avant-garde Dutch designer Iris van Herpen's Syntopia Dress, from the Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2018-2019 Collection, a dramatic symphony in silk organza, crepe, Mylar, and stainless steel. Drama reigns in Schiaparelli's spectacular Coat and Trousers, designed by Daniel Roseberry, from the Une ère de discipline Collection, Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022, emblematic of the designer's mystical union of astrology and fashion. Another intriguing dialogue is established between a Yohji Yamamoto ensemble from 2024 and the museum's b ro o d i n g t o t e m i c L o u i s e Nevelson sculpture Mirror Image I (1969). Kudos to the transatlantic curatorial quartet that dreamed up this unique show: the Louvre's Olivier Gabet and Marie Brimicombe and their MFAH counterparts, Cindi Strauss and Christine Gervais. Through March 15, 2026; mfah.org. Catherine D. Anspon Gyula Kosice's La ciudad hidroespacial (The Hydrospatial City) (detail), 1946-1972, at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston COLLECTION MFAH. © FUNDACIÓN KOSICE – MUSEO KOSICE, BUENOS AIRES. Iris van Herpen, Syntopia Dress, Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2018 – 2019, at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Schiaparelli, designed by Daniel Roseberry, Coat and Trousers, from the Une ère de discipline Collection, Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022, at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. COURTESY IRIS VAN HERPEN, AMSTERDAM, MODELED BY SABAH KOJ, PHOTO © YANNIS VLAMOS COURTESY SCHIAPARELLI, MAISON SCHIAPARELLI, PARIS, MODELED BY AJOK MADEL MFAH as Runway: 16