Not one wrinkle or single grey hair reveals her age – but that’s what Barbie is all about! She’s slim, immaculate and timeless. Other dolls are seen as a toy, but Barbie has made herself an impressing career over all these years. And in many different areas, of course: As a collector’s item, a model for various famous designers, a trendsetter and, last but certainly not least, the best friend of millions of girls all around the world. She truly is the main attraction. The Barbie Story began with the first girls’ doll made by Ruth Handler in the late fifties, and leads all the way up to Barbie’s current position as a modern business woman.
Starting November 18th, 2003, the 45th anniversary of this famous cult doll was celebrated in Vienna with the exhibit The Barbie Story. Visitors could see more than 2,000 different Barbie models while learning more about her roots. Furthermore, an interactive experience world depicted Barbie’s great success over past decades.
Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, one of the biggest musical producers in Europe, together with event specialist Christoph Rahofer and the costume and theatre designer Ralph Hazy Hartlieb, developed an exhibit concept that showed us the story of Barbie in an entirely new and innovative way. Beginning with the ‘birth’ of Barbie in 1959, the exhibit shows the relation between Barbie’s world and the world around her. From the roaring twenties and swinging sixties to flower power and disco in the seventies and eighties …and ending with the modern day.
Barbie’s role and themes not only show us the lifestyle of a special period; they also reflect the development of society and the place of women in it. Internationalisation, feminism and the collector cult surrounding Barbie were also important themes on display. Inescapable, however, was the key aspect of Barbie as a symbol of feminine dreams and desire.
Aerobic queens, ballerinas, princesses and movie stars are all part of experiencing The Barbie Story, as well as the beauty salon and the luxurious haute couture made for Barbie’s “perfect body” over the last several decades. Audio and video installations and interactive elements, such as the Barbie Movie Theatre, made "The Barbie Story" interesting for children, parents as well as haute couture fans – and, of course, for the Barbie fan! Especially for this exhibit and to celebrate the anniversary of this extraordinary doll, a Vienna Opera Ball Barbie was created (and sold out).
