What defines beauty and why has it obsessed humanity throughout history? This exhibition invites visitors to reflect on aesthetic ideals while celebrating bodies that lie outside the norm. 🎨✨

Hosted at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), this project explores the relentless human pursuit of physical perfection across diverse historical and social perspectives.

🎨 The Cult of Beauty

📅 From May 21 to November 8, 2026

🕐 Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

📍 Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona - CCCB, Barcelona

🎟️ General admission: €6 / Reduced admission: €4

📖 A critical perspective on aesthetic ideals

The exhibition charts the evolution of beauty standards from antiquity to the present day, analyzing how art, philosophy, science, politics, religion, and medicine have shaped our aesthetic canons.

It also investigates the cosmetics industry, product design, and consumerism, casting a critical eye on skin, hair, and flesh as battlegrounds for control over human bodies.

🏛️ Contemporary debate at the CCCB

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona presents this exhibition in Ciutat Vella, providing a central platform for cultural dialogue and critical inquiry into the social forces shaping our world.

ℹ️ Good to know: Closed on non-holiday Mondays. Reduced admission is available for €4.

✨ A compelling invitation to interrogate beauty standards and embrace diverse bodily representations.