Exhibition Opening: The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire

Thursday, 1 October at 5 pm

udstillingen magt og mode på glyptoteket torso af romersk kejser Tiberius

Step into a world of purple, drapery, spectacular footwear and fabulous hairstyles as the exhibition 'The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire' turns the spotlight on ancient fashion for the first time in an ambitious special exhibition.

Join us for the opening of Glyptoteket’s largest exhibition on antiquity ever, The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire. Celebrate the occasion in the Central Hall with speeches, livemusic with Mette Lindberg, and a complimentary beer.

For Season Ticket Holders Only As a season ticket holder you are invited to a preview in the exhibition before the official opening. No registration or ticket is needed, just show up and bring along your season ticket.

2.00- 4.00 pm Preview of the special exhibition for season ticket holders

Exhibition opening programme: 5.00 pm Welcome beer in the Great Hall 5:15 pm Welcome by Director Gertrud Hvidberg-Hansen and curator Cecilie Brøns 5:30 pm Concert with Mette Lindberg (of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, among others) 6–9 pm Explore the exhibition

Throughout the evening, you can meet Karmameju, who have created fragrances for the exhibition based on ancient perfume recipes.

Price and Tickets

To celebrate the exhibition opening, admission to Glyptoteket will be free from 4.00 pm.

About the Exhibition

At a time when fashion and self-presentation play a greater role than ever, antiquity offers new perspectives on how we see ourselves – and one another.

Power and Fashion in the Roman Empire is based on the Glyptotek’s many years of research into the colours, clothing, jewellery, perfumes and fashions of the ancient world. For the first time, this subject is being presented in both Denmark and internationally through an ambitious special exhibition spanning more than 1,000 square metres.

Fashion and identity are closely connected. Clothing can be read as a language that communicates identity – gender, age, ethnicity, social status, political affiliation and, at times, religious belonging. Whether we are conscious of it or not, we communicate aspects of our identity through what we wear, just as we interpret others through their appearance.

The same was true in the ancient world. Most ancient textiles have been lost, but marble and bronze sculptures depicting men and women in different forms of dress remain. What stories do these Roman testimonies reveal when viewed through a contemporary lens? And what can they tell us about identity in antiquity – and fashion today?

Antiquity remains relevant. Then as now, clothing, style and appearance were used to signal identity, status and power. These sculptures remind us that self-fashioning and self-presentation are far from modern phenomena.

Read more about the exhibition here. The exhibition is on view from 1 October 2026 to 27 March 2027.

About Mette Lindberg

Mette Lindberg (b. 1983) is a Danish singer, songwriter and performer, best known as the frontwoman of the internationally acclaimed band The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. With her distinctive voice and genre-spanning musical style, she has moved effortlessly between pop, alternative music and jazz. Her work is marked by a strong visual identity and interest in fashion and aesthetics. In June 2026, she released her first solo EP, co star. She will perform with her band at the opening.

Mette Lindberg, photographed by Kat Jarby

Accessibility

Wheelchair users can participate in the opening event in the Festival Hall. Unfortunately, the exhibition is not accessible to wheelchair users. For more information about accessibility, companion arrangements and access conditions, please read more here.

Thank You for the Generous Support of the Exhibition

Augustinus Fonden

Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond

Beckett-Fonden

Dronning Margrethe II’s Arkæologiske Fond

Ernst B. Sund Fonden

Jorck’s Fond

Knud Højgaards Fond

Landsdommer V. Gieses Legat

Lillian og Dan Finks Fond

Manufakturhandlerforeningen I Kjøbenhavns Almene Fond

Nationalbankens Jubilæumsfond

Ny Carlsbergfondet

Toyota-Fonden

Sponsorship

Arper

Ege Carpets

Jotun

Karmameju

Kvadrat

Ramsing & co.

Your visit

Visit

Opening Hours

Visit with Children