HUMLEBAEK, Denmark — Who truly possesses a memory? What defines a memory? Do your memories inherently belong to you? These thought-provoking inquiries permeate the atmosphere of Dollhouse, a comprehensive retrospective of American artist Kaari Upson at the Louisiana Museum in Denmark, marking the first of its kind since her passing in 2021 at the age of 51 due to cancer. Spanning the entirety of the south wing gallery, the exhibition is extensive and diverse, showcasing works that include sculpture, painting, film, installations, drawings, and more. Above all, it highlights Upson’s prolific creative output—most of the pieces were produced during the 2010s—and her strikingly playful yet eerie aesthetic. Upson excelled at unsettling domestic settings, infusing the banal with an unsettling quality. The exhibition is designed as an immersive dollhouse, inviting visitors to navigate through it and confront the realities of their own experiences.
This retrospective is not arranged linearly, which is fitting considering Upson’s time-bending approach. With multiple pieces sharing names, pinpointing the true start and end of her projects—some spanning several years—becomes an elusive endeavor. Instead, the exhibition is thematically structured: “When Kaari met Larry,” focusing on the influence of a half-real, half-imagined figure on her art; “The life of things,” discussing how objects encapsulate narratives; “Haunted by history,” presenting stylized interpretations of her own narrative; and “Endgame,” exploring Upson’s contemplation of closure and mortality.
“Larry” stands out as a recurring motif throughout Upson’s body of work. Inspired by the remnants of a vacant house opposite her childhood residence, Upson began creating art centered around her imaginative interpretations of the former resident’s extravagant lifestyle. Highlights of Dollhouse include the monumental installation “Recollection Hysteria” (2012), where she reimagined a room from the forsaken house using dimly-colored latex, arranging mattresses, doors, and other objects in a defying gravity display. Items that should be lying flat instead cling upright, while typical wall pieces hang from the ceiling. “Larry” also appears in “Kiss” (2008), where Upson combines wet-painted portraits of herself and Larry positioned together, and in various untitled video pieces where she dissects a dummy’s body while dressed as a nurse, reminiscent of the phantom neighbor Larry embodied.
Other compelling works in the exhibition include her collection of ordinary furnishings: a silicone mattress radiates an unusual iridescence in “X (King)” (2013); twisted sofas evoke both dread and admiration in “Left Brace Erase, Back Brace Face” (2016); and a series of latex crutches, mottled with dirt and hair in “Cult of Individualism” (2012), merge delicacy with rawness. These visceral installations invite not just observation but also a sensory engagement with the art.
Two additional expansive installations directly address themes of innocence and the recollection of childhood, projecting Upson’s fascination with dollhouses explicitly. “There’s No Such Thing As Outside” (2017–19) offers an unoccupied, life-sized home filled with everyday objects like pills, dentures, and coffee tables in the dark crawlspace below, illuminated by light filtering through gaps in the floor. Nearby, a video shows Upson and a childhood companion engaging in play, their distorted faces casting over their closed eyes willfully, with their voices layering in the background. Meanwhile, “Mother’s Legs” (2018–19) showcases a plethora of oversized casts of Upson’s own legs, swinging from the ceiling like slaughtered livestock, suggesting that what once felt like a safe hiding spot for a child was not a refuge at all.
Dollhouse presents a thoroughly comprehensive exhibition that opens multiple avenues to explore the significant themes in Upson’s work, strikingly unsettling in its emotional resonance. Each component of the exhibit encapsulates a relatable fear: that the world may defy our comforting illusions, regardless of our attempts to make-believe. Upson’s art always carries an air of flawed perfection, drawing the audience into a voyeuristic experience of the clash between high aspirations, performed connections, and the stark truth of existence. Within this serene town overlooking the tranquil waters of the Øresund Strait, museumgoers are invited to witness an unraveling of the self. This engagement serves not merely as play but as an insightful reckoning, revealing truths that may challenge preconceived notions. Does your recollection truly reflect how things were?
Kaari Upson: Dollhouse – A Retrospective will be on view at the Louisiana Museum of Art (Gammel Strandvej 13, 3050 Humlebæk, Denmark) until October 26, 2025. The exhibit was co-organized by the Louisiana Museum of Art, Kunsthalle Mannheim, and Masi Lugano. Following its time in Denmark, it will travel to Kunsthalle Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany, from February 13 to May 31, 2026, and to Masi Lugano in Lugano, Switzerland, on dates to be announced between 2026 and 2027. The curation was handled by Anders Kold.
