(December 14, 2006) — She’s the Babushka doll of twenty-first century art: a twiggy blonde perfectly poised on a rotating platform, wearing nothing but a thin slip of woven fibers and staring out of cold, impassive eyes. Two men in stylish suits approach the stage after every rotation to wrap this breathing mannequin in a new layer of garments—garments that transcend the everyday aesthetics of fashion to resemble sculptures of Swarovski crystal and lace. By the ninth piece the model’s pliant form is completely hidden under the stiff geometry of her jute cocoon, and her face is barely visible. This is not your usual line-up of painted egg-shaped dolls; nor is it “dress-me-up” Barbie. It is called the “Russian Doll” collection by Victor&Rolf, and is the first of many eccentric pieces in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s November-to-March exhibit of “Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture.” This extensive exhibit is packed with a multitude of stunning displays that compel even the most ardent aficionados to revisit their definition of art. Modern works have come a long way from their rebellious days of soup cans and sporadic paint splatters, and continue to become increasingly self-conscious, interdisciplinary, international and just plain “out there.” Pieces in this exhibit are arranged according to such categories as “identity,” “geometry” and “shelter”—concepts which are explored in both fashion and architecture. The section devoted to “identity” is a real eye-catcher. One display, J. Meejin Yoon’s “Defensible Dress,” is a motion-sensitive corset with electronic pins that would stick out like porcupine needles every time a body came close. Hussein Chalayan’s unique idea of fashion is also worthy of attention; his “Afterwords” collection includes dresses that can be converted into portable furniture. According to the artist, this is meant to depict the instability of identity and shelter in times of economic strife, as is the case in his Turkish homeland. In the field of architecture, Preston Scott Cohen’s digital rendering of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is breathtaking. His expert manipulation of geometry and negative space gives the museum the divine aspect of a marble waterfall. Japanese artists Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa also show their skill in the ingenious design of the 21 st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa Japan. From a bird’s eye view the museum resembles cups on a tray, with the “cups” actually serving as partitions to individual galleries. I have to admit I was surprised at my own approval of this exhibit. Usually I tend to be critical of modern art, dismissing contemporary gimmicks as “kitschy.” But this exhibit depicts a level of such ingenuity and quiet sophistication that in the end, I was left speechless.