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John Galliano and Metropolitan Museum of Art Cancel 2027 Exhibition Following Backlash

morning · · thread: Metropolitan Museum of Art and John Galliano Cancel Planned Exhibition

9 sources across 6 countries

Who reported this

  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • BBC News United Kingdom · Centre · Public · Licence fee, royal charter
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • Der Spiegel Germany · Centre-left · ~50% staff-owned
  • Sueddeutsche Zeitung Germany · Centre-left · Sudwestdeutsche Medien Holding
  • elDiarioAR Argentina · Centre-left · Newsroom-majority owned, membership funded
  • La Tercera Chile · Centre-right · Copesa (Saieh family)
  • South China Morning Post Hong Kong · Centre-right · Alibaba Group
  • Haaretz Israel · Left · Schocken family and M. DuMont Schauberg

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  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art and fashion designer John Galliano have cancelled a major exhibition titled John Galliano: Horizons that was scheduled to open in May 2027. The exhibition would have served as the theme for the next Met Gala. The decision follows significant criticism from political leaders, donors, and members of the Jewish community regarding Galliano's history of antisemitic and racist remarks. In a statement posted to Instagram, Galliano said he decided with great sadness that it is best for the exhibition not to take place at this time. He stated that he remains fully accountable for the pain caused by his words in the past, specifically mentioning the hurt caused to Jewish and Asian communities.

The controversy stems from incidents in 2011 when Galliano, then the creative director of Christian Dior, made a series of racist and antisemitic comments in Paris. A French court convicted him of these remarks, which included declaring a love for Hitler and hurling slurs at a Jewish woman and an Asian man. Galliano was subsequently fired from Dior. In his recent statement, Galliano noted his fifteen years of sobriety and recovery from alcoholism and addiction. He added that he did not want the debate surrounding him to place the Met in a difficult position or distract from the work of the Costume Institute.

Opposition to the exhibition included New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who described the plan to honor Galliano as a gut punch to the Jewish community. Some reports indicate that donors also pressured the museum, with one art figure threatening to exclude the Met from his will. Met trustee Anna Wintour expressed her support for Galliano, calling his decision to withdraw courageous. Museum director Max Hollein stated that the decision was made together following thoughtful discussions. The museum announced that a replacement spring exhibition and the 2027 Met Gala theme will be announced at a later date.

How each side framed it

Left
This outlet focused on the specific nature of the hate crimes and the severity of the original tirades.
Centre-left
These outlets emphasized the accountability of the designer and the validity of the community's pain.
Centre
These outlets focused on the sequence of events and the balance between the backlash and the designer's apology.
Centre-right
These outlets highlighted Galliano's influence in the fashion world and the shock felt by the industry.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.