Poznań. The exhibition “Barbie. Unknown faces” in the museum, the film “Barbie” from July 21 in cinemas

From March to the end of July, the Museum of Applied Arts in the Royal Castle in Poznań hosts the exhibition “Barbie. Unknown Faces”. According to its organizers, it “allows you to trace the way women have been perceived over the last few decades” through the prism of this iconic toy.

– Many of us do not know her true story. We have an idea and during this exhibition I wanted to confront us with our own stereotype about the Barbie doll – explains Aleksandra Podżorska, curator of the exhibition. In her opinion, Poles have an image of Barbie created after 1989, and the earlier history is fascinating – the doll was created in 1959 and, according to the curator of the exhibition, was an independent figure from the very beginning.

Previously, girls did not have similar dolls, but only those that resembled children and were supposed to prepare them for the roles of mothers. – From the beginning, she showed that girls can be someone else, that they can have other roles than the only right one assigned to women in the United States after World War II. She was educated, athletic, won medals at the Olympics, had over 200 competitions, flew into space – lists Podżorska.

Podżorska also has her favorite Barbie on display. It is a mini-version of a doll created in the likeness of the Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who actually is took her likeness to the International Space Station, which we wrote about in 2022. – She fulfilled the dream of a Barbie doll about flying into space – thinks Podżorska.

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Among the exhibits at the exhibition, we can also find dolls with prostheses, elderly, undergoing chemotherapy. – It shows children who are going through the same thing that they are not alone – believes the curator of the exhibition.

Read also: Barbie’s first Down Syndrome doll. “People need to see that there are more people like this in the world”

It also resembles a series with inspiring women who made history. – I believe that Barbie not only transforms and inspires little girls, but also adult women. I think these series can encourage action.

The incarnations of the famous doll also show the social changes taking place in the individual decades of the 20th and 21st centuries in society, not only in America. “The dolls are a reflection of often turbulent and controversial phenomena, such as racism, age discrimination, or exclusion due to disability” – we read in the description of the exhibition.

According to the creators of the exhibition, “Barbie perceived as a cultural phenomenon provokes questions about the position of women in the modern world.”

The film “Barbie” by Greta Gerwig – with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling – to cinemas will arrive on July 21.

All we know about the plot itself is that Barbie is banished from Barbieland for not being perfect enough. The heroine sets out with Ken on a journey around the real world, where she experiences various adventures.

Margot Robbie, who is also the producer of the film, told Variety that her image encourages not to rely on associations that automatically come to mind when thinking about Barbie. She also expressed her hope that her film would bring some positive energy to young people’s lives and encourage them to make their dreams come true

The producers in the trailer, which appeared on the network at the end of May, only enigmatically encourage: “If you love Barbie, this movie is for you. If you hate Barbie … this movie is for you.”