Alejandro Caiazza & Doug Groupp: Fun House
Rolling logs, twisters, teeter boards, moving floors, whistle traps, cage maze, shuffleboard, crash bumper, lily pads. It鈥檚 the early 20th century, and you鈥檝e just walked into America鈥檚 playground; the Funhouse. Spawning from the World鈥檚 Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, the American Carnival would soon explode into a kaleidoscope of wonder and oddity, bringing a yearly spectacle to small towns and cities alike. Before evolving into today鈥檚 neon-lit fever dream, the funhouse, a component of the traveling carnival, was a hands-on labyrinth of illusions鈥揳 hall of mirrors, uneven floors, dark corridors, sound effects; a humble wooden structure where inside, nothing was as it seemed.
As the carnival was popularized, it began to nurture a home for those marginalized by American society. Carnival worker crews welcomed international and seasonal workers, and 鈥榝reak shows鈥� took shape, forming experimental communities. Coney Island鈥檚 The Dreamland Circus Side Show offered stability to former circus acts, and legendary parks like Steeplechase, Luna, and Dreamland became a fun and affordable escape for people from all different walks of life.鈥�
Fun House, presented by Van Der Plas Gallery, brings together two artists, Alejandro Caiazza and Doug Groupp, who explore the carnival鈥檚 paradox鈥攂oth its whimsy and its madness. This exhibition captures the untamed spirit of American culture: the thrill of spectacle, the search for belonging, the beauty of the absurd. It celebrates the dreamlike allure of the funhouse while offering a space for nostalgia, raw emotion, and the echoes of a more hopeful time.
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Rolling logs, twisters, teeter boards, moving floors, whistle traps, cage maze, shuffleboard, crash bumper, lily pads. It鈥檚 the early 20th century, and you鈥檝e just walked into America鈥檚 playground; the Funhouse. Spawning from the World鈥檚 Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, the American Carnival would soon explode into a kaleidoscope of wonder and oddity, bringing a yearly spectacle to small towns and cities alike. Before evolving into today鈥檚 neon-lit fever dream, the funhouse, a component of the traveling carnival, was a hands-on labyrinth of illusions鈥揳 hall of mirrors, uneven floors, dark corridors, sound effects; a humble wooden structure where inside, nothing was as it seemed.
As the carnival was popularized, it began to nurture a home for those marginalized by American society. Carnival worker crews welcomed international and seasonal workers, and 鈥榝reak shows鈥� took shape, forming experimental communities. Coney Island鈥檚 The Dreamland Circus Side Show offered stability to former circus acts, and legendary parks like Steeplechase, Luna, and Dreamland became a fun and affordable escape for people from all different walks of life.鈥�
Fun House, presented by Van Der Plas Gallery, brings together two artists, Alejandro Caiazza and Doug Groupp, who explore the carnival鈥檚 paradox鈥攂oth its whimsy and its madness. This exhibition captures the untamed spirit of American culture: the thrill of spectacle, the search for belonging, the beauty of the absurd. It celebrates the dreamlike allure of the funhouse while offering a space for nostalgia, raw emotion, and the echoes of a more hopeful time.
Artists on show
