In celebration of Taylor Swift’s double run of sold-out shows in London, UK, during her Eras tour, “iconic” pieces of memorabilia from across the pop star’s musical career are on display at the city’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, AP reports.
The 13 installations in what’s being referred to as Swift’s ‘Songbook Trail’ include costumes from her performances and music videos, instruments and a microphone featuring a bejewelled snake. Each item documenting Swift’s journey from teenage country singer to global superstar has been set amidst the massive museum’s many priceless permanent exhibits, rather than relegated to a specific area.
For example, a purple skirt and sequined jacket Swift wore for the 2015 tour of her Grammy-winning 1989 album sits in a case next to a painting by the High Renaissance artist Raphael, while the titular cardigan of a 2020 song and music video is draped over a piano stool in a gallery of landscapes paintings. Pale blue cowboy boots Swift donned back in 2007 as a supporting act are also on display.
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Senior curator of theatre and performance at the V&A Kate Bailey described the museum as “the perfect stage” for a journey-style exhibition of “really iconic objects and looks worn by Taylor across her career”.
“I think there’s so many touchpoints within Taylor’s work that respond to art, literature, history … There’s so many ways that we can kind of interpret and layer and present Taylor’s work here.”
While the V&A was not the first museum to feature a Swift exhibition (the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City featured one called, ‘Taylor Swift: Storyteller’ last summer), it offers up a different selection of items to be enjoyed by Swifties – as the artist’s fans are called.
The free exhibition runs through to 8 September. Swift is currently performing her sell-out Eras tour across Europe.
