Beyond the Manosphere: Masculinities Today

What does it mean to be a man today? This question has become increasingly urgent with the rise of the "manosphere", a loose network of online spaces where a brash, misogynisticm masculinity is asserted that, to many, feels threatening. Fueled by the spread of Trumpism, this brand of masculinity has become increasingly mainstream. Providing a counterpoint to such developments, this exhibition departs from the notion of the manosphere and reads it against the grain, asking: If we were to imagine masculinity itself as a sphere", what would we see inside of it? Through selected works from the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, loans, and new commissions, 'Manosphere' critically reflects on images, ideas, and narratives that orbit masculinity. It reveals masculinity to be a performance of power as well as a lived reality that can be conflicting, banal and tender.