Who is Medusa really: monster, victim or hero? From 11 December 2026 to 9 May 2027, the Valkhof Museum will showcase how this iconic figure from Greek mythology has been reinterpreted time and again for 3,000 years with their large-scale exhibition Medusa: from protective Gorgon in antiquity to feminist symbol in the #MeToo movement and contemporary icon in art, fashion, film and games.
The exhibition brings together archaeological masterpieces, ancient and contemporary art, fashion and popular culture. Visitors will discover how the stories about Medusa have evolved over the centuries and how these stories continue to influence our perspective on power, gender, beauty, violence and the relationship between humans and nature.
Featuring loans from international museums and work by artists such as Franz von Stuck, Iris van Herpen, Antonio Canova, Damien Hirst and Wangechi Mutu, Medusa offers a surprising insight into one of the most fascinating figures from mythology. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with the research programme Anchoring Innovation and is accompanied by an extensive public programme consisting of, among other things, debates, performances and workshops.
Simultaneous with the exhibition, the book Medusa: van tempel tot tattoo, is being published, edited by Maarten Depourcq and Martje de Vries (co-curators of the exhibition and RICH researchers). This richly illustrated overview explores art, fashion, design, film and games through archeological objects to see how the myth of Medusa has been retold time and again from antiquity to the present day.
