Uncanny Valley is a concept which describes the skin-prickling, creepy feeling you get when you see robots, dolls or computer-generated animations that look almost – but not quite – human. It is also the title of twin artists Nikolai and Simon Haas’ new show at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York.
‘Uncanny Valley’ invites visitors into the minds of the Los Angeles-based duo, best known as the Haas brothers. Since starting their practice 15 years ago, the twins have created a genre-blurring world that spans art, furniture, craft and technology through hybrid creatures and kooky forms. The show, organized with the Cranbrook Art Museum in Detroit, displays 85 of their works against a backdrop of surreal algorithmically-generated landscapes.
The items on display highlight the ways in which the Haas brothers merge technology with artwork that’s firmly rooted in human-centred craftsmanship. It also proposes a speculative art landscape, where human tradition and artificial intelligence intertwine. That through line is apparent in a series of vignettes, which the brothers describe as ‘problem-solving fantasies.’ These groupings display zoomorphic sculptures such as 'Beasts'; never-ending landscapes inspired by early computer graphics; and 'Emergent Sculptures', which explore self-generating forms through digital code.
The showcase also displays the studio’s collaborative work, including 'Freaks', a series of beaded critters designed in collaboration with the Cape Town, South Africa beading collective MonkeyBiz, which later expanded into a collaboration with women artisans in Lost Hills, California.
The exhibition is also accompanied by a monograph of the same name which features essays, interviews, and extensive archival material that provides deeper insight into the artists' imaginative universe.
All told, ‘Uncanny Valley’ is meant to beckon visitors ‘into worlds that are at once playful and profound,’ says MAD director Tim Rodgers, ‘where digital processes and handwork coexist, and where imagination becomes a powerful tool for rethinking how objects are made, experienced and valued.’
Haas Brothers: Uncanny Valley is on view at the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) until 16 August 2026
