Haas Brothers: Uncanny Valley
A whimsical ecosystem where twin brothers merge digital precision with hand-beaded surrealism to create creatures with human souls.
Image credit
Haas Brothers: Uncanny Vallery is organized by Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and curated by Laura Mott, Chief Curator, with support by Katy Kim, Curatorial Fellow.
Meet the artist
The Movement
Contemporary SculptureArtLovers Tip
Look closely at the flora surrounding the larger creatures. Many of these smaller ceramic sculptures contain the most intricate textures and demonstrate the brothers' early experimentation with liquid clay.
Exhibition Highlights - What you'll see
Nikolai and Simon Haas occupy a singular space where design meets fine art, transforming traditional materials into creatures that pulse with personality. Largely self-taught, the twins bridge the gap between digital fabrication and meticulous handcraft, using ceramics and textiles to explore the boundaries of the uncanny. Their work is a playful yet profound investigation of biological forms, rendering the strange familiar and the functional fantastic.
You're watching an ecosystem of humped, furred, and beaded beasts arranged in otherworldly vignettes. The gallery light catches the texture of intricate beadwork and the smooth curves of zoomorphic furniture, creating an atmosphere that is part natural history museum, part psychedelic dreamscape. As you move through these human-scaled installations, the sense of humor in the sculptures balances a deeper, more vulnerable exploration of intimacy and the natural world.
Worth the trip
- Material Mastery: Witness how the brothers reconcile advanced technology with ancient techniques like hand-beading and ceramic sculpting.
- Surreal Narratives: Immerse yourself in a full-scale animal kingdom where every creature hints at a complex emotional life beyond its whimsical exterior.
- Unique Perspective: Experience a major retrospective at the Museum of Arts and Design that showcases the duo’s evolution from furniture makers to world-builders.
How to experience it
Walk slowly through the vignettes to appreciate the labor-intensive details, from the individual beads to the precision of the ceramic growths. The exhibition invites a tactile curiosity, so notice how the scale of the furniture-like pieces interacts with your own body. Afterward, step out onto Columbus Circle and walk into Central Park; notice the shift from the Haas's vibrant, synthetic nature back to the city's green heart, letting the twins' irreverent forms color your view of the urban landscape.
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