In 2024, Belgian photographer Ines Vansteenkiste-Muylle was selected to create a major exhibition about hair at the MAS in Antwerp.

In a super-diverse city like Antwerp, hairstyles and hair traditions exist in every color, texture, and form; curly, braided, shaved, styled, dyed, extensions or wigs, and the salons where they are created are just as diverse. Her exhibition, The Salon, celebrates this rich variety of hair cultures and practices.

Working together with ErfgoedLab Antwerp, Ines went out into the city to explore hair traditions from past and present. She portrayed 14 hairdressers together with their clients, capturing the intimate relationships, techniques, and stories that unfold inside these salons. The resulting photo series is spread across seven floors of the MAS, with two salons featured on each level. As visitors travel up the museum via the escalators, they are taken through the worlds and working processes of these different salons.

From autumn 2024 to mid-2026, this immersive photo exhibition can be seen in the MAS promenade, guiding visitors on their way to the rooftop. Along the journey, they encounter a vibrant mix of hairstyles, faces, and techniques, reflecting the atmosphere and diversity of Antwerp’s hair salons and the city itself.