10 November 2025  A Press Tour Between Years and StylesThe Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM) hosted its annual press conference today, followed by a preview tour of the new exhibition Head and Shoulders. Coins in Fashion in the Coin Cabinet. The year 2025 has been a record one for the museum group, with visitor numbers rising by over 20 percent from January to September. According to General Director Jonathan Fine and Managing Director Paul Frey, this success reflects the strong curatorial and scientific work of the KHM Museumsverband – often referred to as a "small university" for its 150 researchers and conservators.The museum network, which includes the Weltmuseum Wien and the Theatermuseum, continues to set standards in exhibition quality. Recently, the presentation of the rediscovered Baroque painter Michaelina Wautier gained international attention, praised for its academic and artistic depth. Coins as Mirrors of Fashion and IdentityThe new exhibition Head and Shoulders. Coins in Fashion opens to the public on 11 November 2025. It presents over a hundred portraits on coins and medals that reflect hairstyles, collars, crowns, and fashion accessories from 2,400 years of history. Visitors can trace how rulers shaped their image through miniature portraits that circulated widely among their subjects.Curated by the Coin Cabinet team, the show combines historical precision with visual elegance. One highlight is the section on fashionable collars—especially the wide, pleated ruffs worn by royals such as Maria de' Medici, whose image became an icon of early modern style. Another popular theme among visitors during the press tour was the depiction of beards and hairstyles on coins, from the Roman emperors to the bearded kings of the Renaissance. The curators replaced the traditional catalogue with a glossy publication designed like a fashion magazine, Coins in Fashion, blending art history, design, and lifestyle elements. Even topics such as digital portrait photos are included, showing how identity and representation continue to evolve through changing media and materials. Fashion, Theater, and Textiles Across the KHM MuseumsverbandFashion remains a focus across all museums in the KHM group. The Weltmuseum Wien currently presents two exhibitions on textile art and dress culture:• Who's Wearing the Pants? (until 1 February 2026) explores gender and clothing through historical and contemporary garments. • The Colours of the Earth (22 October 2025 – 6 April 2026) shows modern Mexican textile art connecting indigenous tradition with environmental and social narratives. At the Theatermuseum, the conversation series Ungeschminkt continues until June 2026. On 11 January 2026, costume designer Annette Beaufays, who was awarded the honorary title of Professor by the Austrian government in 2008, will speak about her work in theater and film. The series of talks can be listened to as a podcast on Spotify. Looking Ahead: Ancient Mysteries and Urban ViewsVisitors can look forward to more highlights in 2026 and 2027. The upcoming KHM exhibition Crime Scene Ephesos – Cleopatra and Rome (20 October 2026 – 29 March 2027) will explore the dramatic story of Cleopatra's sister Arsinoë in a mix of archaeology and mystery. Another major event will be Canaletto & Bellotto (24 March – 6 September 2026) at the KHM Picture Gallery. The exhibition brings together the Venetian painters Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, and his nephew Bernardo Bellotto, presenting their city views of Venice, London, and Vienna in dialogue for the first time in the German-speaking world. The famous "Canaletto views" of Vienna, long attributed to Canaletto, were in fact painted by Bellotto, whose precise and atmospheric cityscapes shaped the visual identity of 18th-century Vienna.The museum group continues to offer new perspectives on art history and material culture. From ancient coins to modern costume design, fashion.at's view naturally leans toward style—and the KHM Museumsverband provides rich insight into how fashion and beauty have shaped our visual world through the centuries. Image: During the press tour of 'Head and Shoulders. Coins in Fashion' at the Coin Cabinet of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna on 10 November 2025, Coin Cabinet Director and co-curator Klaus Vondrovec presented the exhibition magazine Coins in Fashion, designed in the style of a glossy fashion publication. Photo: © Fashion.at |