haas brothers bring hairy chaises + fantastical beaded chairs to the bass museum, miami

ferngully, the haas brothers’ first solo museum exhibition, opened during the 2018 edition of miami art week. the exhibition, which remains on view at the bass museum until april 21, 2019, features past work alongside more recent pieces from 2018. the duo presents furniture and sculptural objects in the form of anthropomorphic hairy chaises, fantastical beaded chairs and fungi, and hand-layered liquid clay accretion vases that explore themes of mathematics, science and nature, sexuality, nostalgia, and social equity.

meanwhile, during milan design week 2019, L’OBJET and the haas brothers participate for the first time with a collection that turns fantasy into reality.

installation view of ferngully, on view until april 21, 2019
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach (also main image)

the haas brothers, twins nikolai and simon haas, are artists/designers/creative producers based in los angeles. their works of art and objects are situated between the contexts of art and design, frequently departing from the functional, and moving towards the exclusively sculptural. the brothers work with craft guilds and other partners to construct an ‘imaginarium’ made up of monsters, beasts, flora and fauna, positing a link between the inherent functionality of nature through man-made forms.

(l-r) cacti, (2018); new jersey turnspike, (2018)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

at the bass, ferngully positions the viewer in an immersive environment that evokes cycles of renewal and rebirth found in nature. ‘sculpting has been a big part of my life from an early age,’ nikolai haas told designboom in a previous interview. ‘I moved to using clay about three years ago. I love its versatility and texture. it’s easy to use for someone like me that does it for a living or for someone new.’ see designboom’s previous coverage of the haas brothers’ work here.

three palm structures feature glass beads with LED fiber optics
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

(l-r) funguliver, (2015); cream of some fungui, (2016); zitney spears, (2016)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

(l-r) eyes-ik newton, (2015); nangamso, (2015)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

(l-r) jack the lipper, (2016); bench fry, (2015)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

mary tyler spore (2015)
image © designboom

beaded details from ferngully, on view until april 21, 2019
image © designboom

spotley crue (2017) 
image © designboom

detail of spotley crue (2017) 
image © designboom

father vase (2018)
image © designboom

detail of father vase (2018)
image © designboom

(l-r) zebra gabor, (2014); micro j. fox, (2018); wee wee top, (2017)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

(l-r) pope john small, (2017); itty white, (2018)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

horn to be wild, (2018)
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

the haas brothers: ferngully, december 5, 2018 – april 21, 2019, the bass.
image by zachary balber, courtesy of the bass, miami beach

1/8