The Haas Brothers: Clair de Lune

Healing and Whimsical Twin Artists, Southwest Debut Exhibition “Clair de Lune” Set to Land in Chengdu!

When it comes to classic music about moonlight, most people might first think of the famous piano piece “Claire de Lune” by the renowned French composer Claude Debussy, with its gentle and flowing melody that transports us to a peaceful and elegant summer evening. Inspired by the poetry of Paul Verlaine, Debussy’s music captures the essence of moonlit scenes, much like the Haas Brothers from Austin, Texas.

What kind of new story unfolds when Debussy’s musical masterpiece “Clair de Lune” is transformed into an art exhibition?

From June 8th to July 14th, 2024, the A4 Art Museum at Luxetown Mountain-top Plaza, Chengdu will host the Chinese debut solo exhibition “Claire de Lune” by the Haas Brothers, showcasing their four series: “Zoidberg,” “Tapestry,” “Drippy Ghosts,” and “Beast,” comprising a total of 36 pieces, including sculptures, mirrors, and tapestries created with a variety of materials and techniques, inviting audiences into a dreamlike, warm, and innocent world to heal their souls under the gentle moonlight.

Harnessing Moonlight to Transform the Ordinary into the Dreamlike

The Haas Brothers, composed of twins Nikolai and Simon, spent their formative years in Austin, Texas. This duo excels in challenging the boundaries of art and design, infusing their works with personified characteristics and exploring the social functions of artistic creations. Drawing inspiration from nature, science fiction, psychedelia, and color theory, they showcase their exploration of aesthetics and thematic forms.

The artistic creations and collector-level designs of the Haas Brothers have received international acclaim. Their works are permanently housed in prominent art museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the United States, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the Western United States, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum.

The “Clair de Lune” exhibition will lead audiences into the world of the Haas Brothers’ creations, where viewers will experience a spiritual resonance through their works. Just as Debussy was inspired by Paul Verlaine’s poetry, the Haas Brothers aim to evoke emotional responses and a sense of resonance in their audience through their artistic creations.

The Haas Brothers once said, “Moonlight, brief yet powerful, has the ability to transform everything it touches. Moonlight turns the ordinary into the dreamlike. This transformation is what we pursue.” Through this exhibition, amidst a tumultuous era, they aim to lead audiences into a warm, humorous, innocent, and healing world.

Embracing Quirky Monsters, the Creative Crossover Maestros

The Haas Brothers’ works span across multiple fields, including fashion, film, music, art, and design, drawing inspiration from various aspects of life. The exhibition will feature works created with materials ranging from brass, bronze, and porcelain to highly technical resins and polyurethanes, each offering a unique interpretation of the world.

In 2019, when Rihanna published her laboriously crafted autobiography after more than five years of work, she specifically invited the Haas Brothers to collaborate, creating multiple limited-edition bookshelves tailored to the autobiography. In 2012, when Lady Gaga launched her first perfume, the globally acclaimed black fragrance “Fame,” the Haas Brothers were also invited to design posters for the launch. Their works seem to constantly remind audiences that eccentricity does not necessarily mean strangeness but can coexist with warmth.

The exhibited works include four series: “Zoidberg,” “Tapestry,” “Drippy Ghosts,” and “Beast.” In the process of imbuing their works with personified characteristics, they often employ visual jokes and hidden metaphors to shape the personality of each piece. In the “Drippy Ghosts” series, these “incomplete bodies” exhibit varying degrees of flamboyance, some overt and others reserved, no longer merely serving as furniture but as vibrant characters within a space. The unique titles of each work often draw from elements of popular culture such as novels, music, and television shows. For instance, the mirror series is named “Zoidberg,” a reference to a beloved comedic character from the animated series “Futurama.” This sense of humor and attention to everyday objects allow audiences to enjoy their works and, in turn, contemplate the proposition of individual differences in reality. The creativity of the Haas Brothers is driven by the primal desire inherent in humanity, from creating monsters to continuing to do so to this day. From initially embodying fear and disgust as monstrous figures to now occupying significant positions in popular culture, the essence of these artificial monsters is increasingly intertwined with our social and life experiences. The “monsters” created by the Haas Brothers will serve as guides and companions in the stories under the moonlight, leading audiences through the charming “Tapestry” series filled with artificial animals and plants, traversing day and night, and experiencing the vitality and energy revealed under the moonlight.

During the Haas Brothers’ “Clair de Lune” exhibition, audiences can also visit the simultaneous exhibition of the “10th iSTART Children’s Art Festival” on the B1 Floor and 1F floor of the A4 Art Museum, where they can reconnect with their inner “little monsters” and release stress while healing themselves!