Across the Board: Fashion, Chess, and The Queen's Gambit

How can one find beauty in the darkness of war? Can it even hold meaning when humanity is shrouded in shadow? In the lecture “Secrets of Heroines”, exhibition curator Ya’ara Keydar invites the audience on a behind-the-scenes journey into the making of “Heroines: Fashion and Hope in World War II.” In this talk, Ya’ara shares the curatorial process and the personal experience of engaging with such a complex subject in the aftermath of October 7. Curation is a process that involves collaboration with professionals, moments of success and failure, mistakes, and a great deal of magic. Ya’ara will tell how a single tiny thimble led to an entire exhibition. She will reveal the mysteries uncovered during the research, share moving stories from the production process, and speak about sources of inspiration—something we all need now more than ever. This is a heartfelt lecture about a journey between sorrow and beauty, between loss and hope—and above all, a deep belief in women and humanity.

Think you know Marie Antoinette? Think again. The controversial queen arrived at the court of Versailles at age 14 and changed history through fashion. Behind the glittering icon lies a human figure full of complexities, who arrived in France as a young and foreign princess and was forced to navigate the predatory world of the royal palace. She turned the dresses, wigs, jewelry, and shoes at her disposal into tools with which she defended herself and also stirred up storms and turned worlds upside down. Why did she become a symbol of caprice and waste? Did she really say, "If there's no bread, let them eat cake"? Is she the one who crushed the French economy? For over 250 years, the woman who used fashion as a means of conveying messages, conquering hearts, and demonstrating power has been an eternal fashion icon and continues to inspire fantasy among creators and designers, including John Galliano, Thom Browne, and Sofia Coppola. Tighten your corsets and prepare to discover a Marie Antoinette unlike anything you've known before.

Think you know Marie Antoinette? Think again. The controversial queen arrived at the court of Versailles at age 14 and changed history through fashion. Behind the glittering icon lies a human figure full of complexities, who arrived in France as a young and foreign princess and was forced to navigate the predatory world of the royal palace. She turned the dresses, wigs, jewelry, and shoes at her disposal into tools with which she defended herself and also stirred up storms and turned worlds upside down. Why did she become a symbol of caprice and waste? Did she really say, "If there's no bread, let them eat cake"? Is she the one who crushed the French economy? For over 250 years, the woman who used fashion as a means of conveying messages, conquering hearts, and demonstrating power has been an eternal fashion icon and continues to inspire fantasy among creators and designers, including John Galliano, Thom Browne, and Sofia Coppola. Tighten your corsets and prepare to discover a Marie Antoinette unlike anything you've known before.