The imaginative, strange childhood dreams of twin artists Nikolai and Simon Haas have materialized in a sweeping, large-scale exhibition at the Blanton Museum of Art. Working collectively as the Haas Brothers, the Los Angeles-based siblings have been collaborating since 2010, earning international acclaim for their fantastical sculptures of flora and fauna, all rendered with their signature cheeky, surreal twist. In their latest exhibition, the duo presents a vibrant and eccentric range of figurative furniture, plush cartoonish characters, and illuminated installations that fully showcase their idiosyncratic aesthetic to audiences in Texas.
Titled Uncanny Valley, the exhibition has previously been on view at the Cranbrook Art Museum and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. The presentation marks the first major mid-career survey for the duo, bringing together a comprehensive range of their quirky, genre-defying works that challenge traditional boundaries between fine art, design, and sculpture. Beyond its artistic significance, the exhibition serves as a nostalgic homecoming for the brothers. The twins lived in Austin from the age of 3 to 19, a formative period during which the city’s unofficial slogan, "Keep Austin Weird," deeply embedded itself as a cultural ethos and an early influence on their creative perspectives.
Exploring the Intersection of Nature, Technology, and Surrealism
Deeply interested in technology and its sweeping implications for modern society, the Haas Brothers frequently engage with the strange, often unsettling intersection of the artificial and the natural. Their works blur the lines between what is organic and what is manufactured, creating an ecosystem of objects that feel simultaneously alien and familiar. A prime example of this duality is their brilliant and bizarre "strawberry tree," a striking installation that appears as if it has been transplanted directly from another planet into the refined galleries of the museum.
To help visitors navigate their strange universe, the artists have shared insights into the conceptual foundation of the exhibition. Elaborating in a statement accompanying the show, Simon Haas explains the psychological and theoretical underpinnings of their body of work:
"The ‘uncanny valley’ generally refers to robotics, where empathy for a robot increases the more human you make it—up to a point. When the robot becomes too human, empathy switches to revulsion. The solution for this is to add cuteness: when a robot is humanoid with an extra dose of cuteness, empathy for the object skyrockets. Looking at our 15-year career from a bird’s-eye view, the ‘uncanny valley’ came into focus as a core theme."
Throughout the galleries, this tension between the eerie and the adorable is palpable. Visitors encounter soft, tactile sculptures that evoke a sense of childhood comfort while simultaneously displaying bizarre, otherworldly morphologies. From towering, whimsical mushrooms covered in rich textures and vibrant palettes to anthropomorphic furniture pieces that seem ready to come alive, the exhibition invites viewers to question their emotional responses to manufactured objects.
A Nationwide Tour and Final Stops
The exhibition at the Blanton Museum of Art offers local audiences a rare chance to experience the breadth of the duo’s 15-year collaborative career before the survey moves on to its final destination. Uncanny Valley remains on view in Austin through January 17, after which the exhibition will travel to the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, concluding its acclaimed museum circuit.
For art enthusiasts, collectors, and fans looking to delve deeper into the brothers’ imaginative universe, an accompanying monograph sharing the title Uncanny Valley is available through Bookshop, documenting the distinct visual vocabulary and whimsical philosophy that has defined the Haas Brothers’ career.
