The Haas Brothers make objects that refuse to sit still in a category — a beast covered in fur that is also a chair, a ceramic vessel whose surface was plotted by an algorithm and then thrown by hand — and this is the first show to put eighty-five of them in one place. It is loud, funny and unusually easy to like, which is not something you say about most design surveys. With the run ending this weekend, it is the last chance in New York to walk through the whole menagerie.
What to expect
Galleries staged as environments rather than vitrines, with the twins' hybrid creatures grouped into scenes you move around. Expect fur, brass, resin and ceramic in close quarters, plus wall work generated from digital landscape studies. Most pieces are open to the room, so plan for slow-moving crowds near the biggest sculptures.
Good to know
- Take the A, B, C, D or 1 to 59th Street–Columbus Circle — the museum is right on the circle
- MAD is a ticketed museum; check the site for current admission and any pay-what-you-wish window
- The building is fully accessible with elevators between floors
- Everything is out in the open — bring a hand on small kids rather than a stroller if you can
- The galleries are compact, so the show reads well in about an hour
- Sixth-floor windows over Central Park are worth the extra few minutes
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Common questions
Who are the Haas Brothers?
Nikolai and Simon Haas are twin brothers based in Los Angeles who make sculpture, furniture and ceramics that blur art, design and craft.
How big is the exhibition?
Around eighty-five works, spanning hybrid creature sculptures, functional objects, ceramics and digitally generated landscape imagery.
Can you touch the pieces?
No — despite the tactile fur and glaze surfaces, the works are hands-off. Staff will ask you to keep a step back from the larger creatures.
More this weekend
