Körper. Blicke. Macht. / Body. Gaze. Power.

At the center of the project Body, Gaze, Power: A Cultural History of the Bath is a global social practice that is as old as humankind itself. Even though it has always been associated with cleansing rituals, what is revealed here are centuries of bathing references that go far beyond such topics as hygiene, health, and wellness. In fact, as the site where the act of bathing occurs, the bathroom has always been ideologically, religiously, socially, and culturally charged, and it remains so to this day. The catalogue features objects and works of art from various epochs, lands, and cultures, from seventeenth-century barber’s bowls, heaters, or nineteenth-century hammam sandals, to works by artists ranging from Albrecht Dürer to David Hockney, Thomas Demand to Zoe Leonard. Besides the many illustrations, informative texts help readers to immerse themselves in the pleasures of various bathing cultures.