An exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is examining the relationship between music, the human body and cultural identity, arguing that the earliest and most universal musical instrument is the human body itself.

The exhibition, titled “Musical Bodies,” brings together artworks, historical objects and cultural artifacts to explore how people have used their voices, movements and physical presence to create music across centuries and civilizations.

According to exhibition curator Strauchen-Scherer, the project seeks to place music at the center of human experience rather than treating it as a background feature of everyday life.

One section of the exhibition focuses on whistling, a form of vocal expression that predates many modern musical practices and served practical purposes long before it became associated with entertainment or artistic performance.

Strauchen-Scherer said whistling initially emerged as a means of communication, particularly among people separated by significant distances. The distinctive sound carries effectively across landscapes, allowing individuals to communicate when ordinary speech would be difficult to hear.

The exhibition argues that such forms of vocal expression demonstrate how humans have long used their bodies as instruments capable of producing complex and meaningful sounds. Long before the development of specialized musical devices, people relied on their voices, breathing and physical movements to create rhythm and melody.

The role of the human voice as a musical instrument is also highlighted through contemporary examples. Among them is the work of vocalist Lewis, whose contributions to the film Barbie are featured as an example of how vocal performance can create emotional depth without relying on conventional lyrics.

According to the exhibition, Lewis’s vocalizations provided an atmospheric backdrop to a scene involving Ruth Handler, portrayed in the film by Rhea Perlman. The flowing and expressive quality of the vocals is presented as a contrast to beatboxing, which relies on sharper and more percussive sounds.

Curators argue that the comparison illustrates the remarkable range of sounds that can be produced by the human voice alone. From melodic vocalizations to rhythmic effects, the voice remains one of the most versatile musical tools available.Another major theme explored by “Musical Bodies” concerns the historical role of musical instruments in courtship, romance and social symbolism.

Throughout history, instruments have often carried meanings that extend beyond their practical use in performance.According to the exhibition, certain instruments have frequently been associated with attraction, desire and social status.

In some cultures, playing a particular instrument could convey messages about identity, gender or personal relationships.One example highlighted in the exhibition is a woodblock print by the nineteenth-century Japanese artist Utagawa Kunisada.

The work depicts a woman holding a shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute, in a manner that contemporary audiences of the period may have interpreted as provocative.

Strauchen-Scherer explained that women playing flutes and similar wind instruments was often considered socially controversial in both Japanese and Western societies during earlier historical periods. Because such instruments are played with the mouth, they frequently became associated with sexual symbolism and social taboos.

The exhibition uses the artwork to illustrate how musical practices have often reflected broader attitudes toward gender roles and acceptable public behavior. Instruments were not always viewed simply as tools for artistic expression; they could also function as markers of social expectations and cultural boundaries.

Another featured work is “The Musician” by seventeenth-century Dutch painter Bartholomeus van der Helst. The painting portrays a woman tuning a lute before performance.According to Strauchen-Scherer, the image contains symbolic meanings that would likely have been understood by audiences of the period.

The act of tuning an instrument has historically appeared in European art as an allegory connected to romance and intimacy.The curator noted that visual artists frequently employed musical imagery to communicate themes that could not always be expressed directly.

Instruments, performances and musical preparation often served as symbolic references to relationships, desire and social interaction.By bringing together examples from different historical periods and cultural traditions, the exhibition seeks to demonstrate how music has been deeply intertwined with human life beyond formal performance settings.

Musical expression has functioned as communication, ritual, entertainment, social commentary and personal identity.The exhibition also challenges the assumption that music primarily exists through instruments such as pianos, violins or guitars. Instead, it presents the body itself as the foundation from which all musical activity emerges.

According to the curatorial perspective, every form of music ultimately depends upon physical actions, whether through singing, breathing, movement or interaction with an instrument. The exhibition suggests that understanding this connection can offer a broader appreciation of music’s role in human history.

Strauchen-Scherer said she hopes visitors leave with a renewed awareness of music’s significance in everyday life. In an era when recorded music is widely available through streaming platforms and commonly heard in public spaces such as shops and cafes, she believes its importance can sometimes be overlooked.

Rather than viewing music as a passive background element, the exhibition encourages audiences to recognize it as a fundamental component of human culture and experience. Through artworks, historical artifacts and contemporary examples, “Musical Bodies” presents music not as a specialized activity practiced by a few, but as a universal human capacity rooted in the body itself.

The exhibition’s central argument is that music remains inseparable from human identity, reflecting the ways people communicate, express emotions and connect with one another across cultures and generations.