LOVER
The Songbook Trail opens with Swift’s Lover era, centering on her music video for “The Man,” which saw her donning a male ensemble. The outfit, comprised of pieces by Versace and Tommy Bahama, is displayed in a foyer alongside Swift’s wig, facial hair, director’s chair, and MTV VMA award for the video.
It’s purposeful that the installation is set between sculptures of two goddesses, Diana and Venus, and in front of a series of portraits of male artists. “In this institution, which is over 150 years old, female creativity was not celebrated,” Bailey says. “Obviously, we’ve done it more recently, but to be able to showcase that in dialogue with the patriarchy felt quite playful [and] quite Taylor.”