Exorcise the Candy House curated by Wumen Ghua as a part of Design Biennale Rotterdam 2025
- Katažyna Jankovska
- Mar 31
- 1 min read
The phrase "the candy house," as in the tale of Hansel and Gretel, symbolises the Faustian bargain of convenience and connection at the expenseof privacy and autonomy. In the original story, the candy house—constructed by an evil witch—is designed to lure vulnerable children, exploiting their desperation and hunger.
This exhibition explores how humans, entangled in the hyperfold era, may find themselves “trapped” in a modern-day candy house of their own making. It poses a critical question: can we still purify and exorcise this haunted house of the digital age, or have webecome the new witches lying in wait for lost prey?
Exorcise the Candy House examines the seductive allure and hidden dangers of the hyperfold. It invites viewers to reconsider the agency of the entities we create and inhabit, questioning whether redemption is possible—or even necessary—within a world of interconnectedconsciousness.
Participating artists: Anca Bârjovanu (RO), Paul Barsch (DE), Guy Bar-Sinai (IL), Shai Datauker (NL), Tilman Hornig (DE), Ioana Georgescu (RO), Sophia Schullan (DE), Ella Wang Olsson (SE/CN) and Xiaoyao Ma (CN).
