Temporary exhibition

"Taken to the extreme. Costumes from the Aachen Theater"
Couven Museum Aachen

20.09.2025 - 12.04.2026

Opening: Fri 19.09., 19.00 h

The exhibition "Taken to the extreme. Costumes from Theater Aachen" provides a look behind the scenes of costume design at Theater Aachen with around 150 exhibits. It traces the development of the theater costume from the first design to the finished work and shows its use on stage. "The costume is essential for the visual transformation of a person into a role," emphasizes Elena Tzavara, General Director of Theater Aachen. "I am all the more touched by the really great collaboration between the museum and theater teams. A remarkable exhibition has been created in a relatively short space of time."

Renate Schwietert, the former head of the costume department at Theater Aachen, adds: "It quickly became clear to us that we didn't just want to fill the Couven Museum with a few decorative costume highlights. Rather, we wanted to show what the work in the costume department looks like and how many people are involved in the individual work steps."

Theater costumes are sometimes historical, modern or timeless, sometimes spectacular, fantastic or sometimes just seemingly simple. But they are always true works of art, created from creative ideas and with a great deal of craftsmanship, which transport and enchant the audience into the world of the play.
Carmen Roebers, Director of the Couven Museum, is delighted: "The theme fits in wonderfully with the house and the collaboration with our colleagues from the theater was very inspiring. Our guests can expect many surprising experiences and insights. In addition to the exhibits, there are also two hands-on stations and four media stations that offer a look behind the scenes."

One thing becomes clear in the exhibition: theater costumes are much more than just clothing. They quote historical stylistic periods and thus visualize the time frame of the stage action; they show the social affiliations of the stage characters and give an idea of the psychological states of the theater characters. For the performers, costumes are "space" and allies that help them immerse themselves in a character. The costume is a textile means of expressing an idea, an inner attitude of the respective character and the story to be told.

In cooperation with the costume and make-up department of Theater Aachen, the exhibition tells the stories behind costume making: How are costume ideas created? How do little helpers - from shapewear to knee pads and "body fat" - reshape body silhouettes? What tools and materials, how much craftsmanship is needed to make a theater costume? What different professions come together in the costume department?

A costume is often only created with the right mask and headdress. That's why masks, i.e. physiognomy, make-up and hairstyle, as well as the selection of the right headgear are part of the costume design: A look at the make-up department shows how warts and scars, beards and wigs are created and faces are transformed on a daily basis. The fashion department, on the other hand, reveals the colorful variety of hats, crowns, wreaths and many imaginative creations that are often the most important accessory of the costume and make it complete in the first place.

Until April, visitors have the opportunity to discover the great variety of costumes in the Theater Aachen's collection - from the historical Biedermeier tailcoat to the imaginative shell dress of Venus.