Exhibition — Apr 18 until Aug 2, 2026

What does it mean to be a man today? This question has become increasingly urgent with the rise of the ‘manosphere’, a loose network of online spaces where a brash, misogynistic masculinity is asserted that, to many, feels threatening. Fueled by the spread of Trumpism, this brand of masculinity has become increasingly mainstream. Providing a counterpoint to such developments, this exhibition departs from the notion of the manosphere and reads it against the grain, asking: If we were to imagine masculinity itself as a ‘sphere’, what would we see inside of it?

Through selected works from the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, loans, and new commissions, Manosphere critically reflects on images, ideas, and narratives that orbit masculinity. It reveals masculinity to be a performance of power as well as a lived reality that can be conflicting, banal and tender. With works by Lucy McKenzie, Eduardo Paolozzi, Melle, Sands Murray-Wassink, Salman Toor, and Bruno Zhu, among others.

In collaboration with Kunstmuseum St. Gallen. Curated by Melanie Bühler, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.