Horror at Sprüth Magers Channels The Uncanny for a Traumatic Age

Curated by Jill Mulleady, the group exhibition "Horror" at Sprüth Magers in Los Angeles takes Mike Kelley's 1993 exhibition "The Uncanny" as its starting point, aiming for a more explicit shock of horror suited to an age of societal collapse. Installed across two floors, the show features around 30 artists and filmmakers, with video and audio works creating a supernatural atmosphere. Mulleady included six pieces by Kelley, including "Superman Recites Selections from 'The Bell Jar' and Other Works by Sylvia Plath" (1999), which is referenced in her own painting "Kryptonite" (2025). Other works include Paul Thek's "Meat Cable" (1969), Rosemarie Trockel's video "Manus Spleen 3" (2001), Diego Marcon's "TINPO" (2006), Harmony Korine's "Curb Dance" (2011), and Dario Argento's "Suspiria" (1977) playing on a CRT monitor. The exhibition's most haunting gesture is Ottessa Moshfegh's "Untitled" (2025), two couches caked with dirt and debris, one abandoned outdoors in Pasadena, the other kept inside, both surviving the 2025 Eaton Canyon fires. The accompanying plaque states, "Both sofas should be destroyed," offering a visceral connection to real-world fears amid the show's self-conscious engagements with cinema and theatrics.