Kaari Upson. Dollhouse
A Retrospective
06.09.2026 - 10.01.2027
LAC
Piazza Bernardino Luini 6,
6900 Lugano
MASI presents the first major retrospective dedicated to the American artist Kaari Upson (1970-2021), one of the most powerful and original voices in contemporary American art. Through sculpture, video, drawing and installation, Upson’s layered oeuvre revolves around themes such as identity, the body, relationships, illness and loss. The exhibition includes some of her most emblematic works, including the series connected to the celebrated Larry Project, which marked the beginning of her career, and the monumental installation THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OUTSIDE, presented for the first time at the 2019 Venice Biennale.
The exhibition Kaari Upson. Dollhouse – A Retrospective is produced by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, in collaboration with Kunsthalle Mannheim and Museo d’arte della Svizzera italiana..
Curated by Francesca Benini and Taisse Grandi Venturi
Kaari Upson (1970–2021) lived and worked in Los Angeles and New York. Her work has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, including the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2023, 2007); Deste Foundation, Athens (2022); Kunsthalle Basel and Kunstverein Hannover (2019); and the New Museum, New York (2017). She participated in numerous group exhibitions and international biennials, including the 58th and 59th Venice Biennale (2019, 2022), the Whitney Biennial (2017), and the 15th Istanbul Biennial (2017), as well as exhibitions at institutions such as Kunstmuseum Basel, Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève, SFMOMA, Cleveland Museum of Art, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, CAPC Bordeaux, Belvedere 21, Vienna, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
With the support of
Cover image
Kaari Upson, Untitled (Foot Face), 2020-21. © Esmé Trust / Kaari Upson Trust. Courtesy Sprüth Magers