Met Museum’s “Disabled Body” exhibition showcases nine new mannequins

Sinéad Burke’s accessibility consultancy Tilting the Lens has collaborated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art to create a “Disabled Body” section for the museum’s Costume Institute exhibition, Costume Art, at this year’s Met Gala.

The display features nine newly‑crafted mannequins based on the bodies of real disabled individuals. The figures were produced using photogrammetry and digital clay scanning, then sculpted by Frank Benson in partnership with Bonaveri. Several faces were replaced with mirrors designed by Samar Hejazi.

Burke, who worked with Met curator Andrew Bolton, said the project highlights fashion through a perspective that has rarely been seen in major museums. The exhibition also marked the first time wheelchair‑using guests could attend the Met Gala, following the introduction of a step‑free entrance – the first such access point in the museum’s 78‑year history.

Tilting the Lens, founded in October 2020, describes itself as a global strategic accessibility consultancy that offers research, strategy, co‑design audits and training to embed accessibility across arts, cultural institutions and public bodies. The firm’s team of majority‑disabled consultants operates across Europe and draws on a global research hub of 600 disabled participants.

Recent work includes a collaboration with Chanel on the design of its future London headquarters to ensure accessibility for employees and visitors.

Source: Irish Examiner. Photo: Shuxuan Cao / Pexels.