Mid-career survey of the twin artist-designers Nikolai and Simon Haas, with over 80 biomorphic sculptures of strange creatures and porcelain plants.
Haas Brothers: Uncanny Valley is on view at the Blanton Museum of Art through January 17, 2027. It's a mid-career survey of Nikolai and Simon Haas, twin artist-designers born in 1984 who have spent fifteen years building a fictional world of strange furry creatures and porcelain foliage since they started their collaborative studio in Los Angeles in 2010.
Their biomorphic sculptures sit right at the intersection of art, design, and technology. The work blends Simon's analytical systemization with Nikolai's playfulness across a wide range of materials: cast bronze, hand-carved wood, ceramics, blown glass, beadwork, wool, and fur. The exhibition's title comes from roboticist Masahiro Mori's 1970 'uncanny valley' hypothesis—that feeling of unease people get when something non-human looks almost human.
The brothers are Austin natives, and they credit the city's 1990s creative spirit as a formative influence, citing everything from public art and local business signage to landmarks like the Treaty Oak and the moontowers. This is their first mid-career survey, organized by Cranbrook Art Museum and curated by chief curator Laura Mott. It brings together over 80 works, including intricately beaded plant sculptures and the monumental The Strawberry Tree (2023).
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Admission to the show is included with general admission to the Blanton, and it's free for members. The exhibition runs from September 27, 2026, through January 17, 2027, at the Blanton Museum of Art, part of The University of Texas at Austin.
