Timed to Marilyn Monroe's centennial, Genesis unveils Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon, an immersive exhibition at its flagship brand space, Genesis House, that reveals a side of one of the world's most recognizable figures rarely discussed: her intelligence, ambition, and intentional self-authorship.

The world knows Marilyn Monroe as an image, glamorous, timeless, mythic. This exhibition uncovers what the headlines often missed. Monroe dared to dream beyond circumstance, studied the world around her, built power within a restrictive system, and made her future visible before anyone else could fully see it. She understood that her image was a tool, not her totality, and engineered her own transformation from Norma Jeane into an enduring icon.

“Manifesting Marilyn speaks to the courage required to imagine beyond expectation,” says Tedros Mengiste, chief operating officer of Genesis Motor North America. “Marilyn’s story reminds us that icons are shaped through vision, discipline, resilience and the willingness to begin again. At Genesis, and through this latest installation at Genesis House, that ethos of becoming informs how we think about design, culture and hospitality, and how we create experiences that look forward with intention.”

While visitors move through reimagined headlines, an intimate office, a dedicated library, a vanity that reframes glamour as craft, a cinematic experience and a reflective new beginnings space, they encounter not a myth, but a woman who dreamed with intention and built a future beyond expectation. From Norma Jeane to Marilyn and beyond, the Cellar Stage brings self-creation to life as an immersive experience of light, reflection, and legacy.

As Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon invites visitors to reconsider Marilyn Monroe through the lens of intention, intellect, and self-authorship, the exhibition’s opening night was attended by Chloë Sevigny, whose career has been defined by a similarly thoughtful and unconventional approach to storytelling. Known for her discerning eye and enduring influence across film, fashion and culture, Sevigny brings a modern sensibility that aligns naturally with the exhibition’s reframing of Marilyn as someone who shaped her own narrative.

“Marilyn has always represented far more than the image people project onto her,” said Chloë Sevigny. “What I find so compelling about Manifesting Marilyn is how it honors her ambition and the agency she claimed in shaping her own story. It feels incredibly resonant today, and Genesis House creates a space that invites you to look closer and reflect on how icons and individuals are truly made.”

The Exhibition

The exhibition unfolds across six distinct spaces, each revealing a different dimension of Marilyn's mind and method:

• The Headline Room – “The Rewrite”: This space challenges reductive narratives by reimagining headlines about Marilyn and restoring her as the author of her own story rather than a subject of public myth.
• Marilyn's Office – “Mind of the Strategist”: Set within her working environment, this gallery presents Marilyn as a driven businesswoman through original documents, personal materials, and artifacts that highlight her role as a strategic decision-maker.
• The Library: Featuring books from her personal collection, this space reveals Marilyn’s intellectual curiosity and engagement with literature, psychology, and philosophy.
• The Vanity: This environment reframes glamour as an intentional practice, using personal objects and wardrobe to show how Marilyn constructed and controlled her public image.
• The Screen Experience – “The Transformation”: Through immersive visuals and her own voice, this cinematic installation traces her evolution from Norma Jeane to global icon, emphasizing the discipline and determination behind her transformation.
• The New Beginnings Hall: The final space invites visitors to reflect on their own next chapter and consider the legacy they will create.

Developed in partnership with Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), owner and steward of the Marilyn Monroe estate, the exhibition reflects a shared commitment to preserving and celebrating the legacy of one of the most important figures in arts and culture on what would have been her 100th birthday.

"Seeing the world of Marilyn Monroe come to life through the vision of Genesis House provides a unique way for fans and new audiences alike to see her through a new and modern lens without being disruptive to her legacy,” said Dana Carpenter, executive vice president, Entertainment at Authentic. “This space reflects who she was beyond the image and allows each visitor to see her as a unique, multifaceted individual who continues to make a generational impact."

As Genesis House celebrates Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday through Manifesting Marilyn: The Making of an Icon, New York City will also honor her enduring legacy with a special lighting of the Empire State Building. To mark the occasion, Genesis House will livestream the iconic illumination on its showroom LED screen. Together, the exhibition and lighting underscore Marilyn's lasting impact on culture, creativity, and popular imagination, and reflect the continued resonance of her story.

Genesis takes inspiration from Marilyn's ability to transcend expectations. Her story mirrors the brand's conviction that icons are not defined by legacy alone. They are shaped through intention, design, and the courage to make something new manifest. Her centennial becomes an invitation for every guest to move beyond the narratives written about them and step into the future they will write for themselves.

Image credit: Zach Hilty/BFA