In Munich, His Royal Highness Duke Franz of Bavaria attended a preview of the exhibition titled HAIR: Stories of Power and Passion at the Kunsthalle München.
The visit took place both in connection with the Duke’s longstanding interest in art and cultural institutions and in his capacity as Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kunsthalle.
Curated by Ms. Juliane Auwärter and Mr. Roger Diederen, the exhibition brings together approximately 200 works drawn from major international collections, including the Museo del Prado, the Louvre, and the Rijksmuseum.
Conceived as a cross-cultural and historical study, the exhibition examines the cultural and social significance of hair as an expression of identity, belonging, and self-representation, while also addressing its symbolic and political dimensions. Through objects ranging from antiquity to the present, it considers the extent to which hair has been associated with questions of beauty, power, gender, and social norms across different historical contexts.
Presented across a range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and design, the exhibition further addresses the symbolic and political dimensions of hair, including its function as an indicator of transformation, protest, and individual self-determination.
The exhibition also includes several works associated with the Wittelsbach collections, including sculptures from the Staatliche Antikensammlungen and the Glyptothek, a painting from the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, and an object from the Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst. These works have been held by the Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds since 1923.
HAIR: Stories of Power and Passion is open to the public from March 20th to October 4th, 2026, at the Kunsthalle München.
The Royal Correspondent 