Art exhibition about hair in Essen: more on top, almost naked on the bottom

“Grow it, Show it” examines the hair on the head and body at the Folkwang Museum in Essen. The, well, approach is good, but then the show gets a little confusing.

Angela Merkel’s hairstyle was already an issue when the “diamond” didn’t even exist. Anyone who visits the exhibition “Grow it, Show it” in the Folkwang Museum in Essen can, based on Herlinde Koelbl’s famous portrait series, follow the development from a rather awkwardly executed short haircut to the well-known look of the Chancellor’s years – from a bob to a Playmobil hairstyle with highlights, you could say. It was never a power look, but it was undoubtedly distinctive. Not far away you can see a slightly different type of portrait: “Western Girl” (2017) by Anna Ehrenstein is a close-up of a female abdomen. In the center: a pair of pink panties that barely cover the thick tufts of pubic hair that, decorated with glitter, stick out on all sides.