There is perhaps nothing as sinister or threatening as being lulled into a state of complacency while in familiar surroundings. The most successful horror films, such as The Exorcist, Carrie and Panic Room, often take place in very recognisable settings. Haunted Home, featuring the works of Marc Aschenbrenner, Bjørn Melhus and Stacey Steers, uses the human subconscious as a focal point for exploring surrealistic nightmares through video art. The curator of the show, Reynold Reynolds, is a video artist himself, and he has selected the most enigmatic and thought provoking pieces from the other three artists to make the show a memorable one.

The Berlin-based Aschenbrenner begins his creative process with drawings that he then transforms into three-dimensional pieces by fusing together survival blankets, tape and rubbish bags. Approaching the theme of the haunted home from a very different trajectory is Steers, whose films are painstakingly created from thousands of handmade works on paper. The labour-intensive nature of her technical process infuses her videos with a sense of horror vacui. Melhus expands on the work of Aschenbrenner and Steers through his satirical counter to typical figures, topics and strategies within the mass media. 

This exhibition runs parallel to the Volkpaleis (People’s Palace), where Reynolds’ new work ‘The Lost’ is currently showing as well. On the evening of Sunday 29 September, there will be a reception at the exhibition grounds, a boat trip to the Volkpaleis and a talk with the three artists on site. This programme will begin at 5 pm and run until 9.30 pm, at a cost of 30 euros per person (inclusive of food, drinks and boat trip). Those interested should make their reservations via office@west-denhaag.nl.

Haunted Home will run from 7 September to 12 October.

West Groenewegje 136, 2515 LR, Den Haag

Images courtesy of the gallery.