Untie the Apron’s Knot: Release and Protest - From the Kitchen to the Couture Runway

The queen may lack a crown, but she dons a cone bra, fishnet stockings, and the iconic name Madonna! The ultimate diva of Western pop, who, with her debut record, sent the world into a frenzy with her groundbreaking style, continues to shape and influence the fashion scene. Madonna is the master of the stage persona, using clothes and accessories as tools for social revolution and a shield against relentless public scrutiny. In her lecture, Yaara Keydar explores the life of this modern icon—a tale of courage and personal sacrifice woven through the musical milestones and stylistic evolutions of a woman who constantly reinvents herself while always staying true to who she is. Madonna, this is a love song.

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.

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.