mushroom replica spins on its axis in carsten höller's exhibition at galerie micheline szwajcer

Carsten Höller navigates states of delirium in ‘Turn, Fly, Fall, Fly’

Carsten Höller returns to Galerie Micheline Szwajcer in Antwerp with ‘Turn, Fly, Fall, Fly,’ an exhibition delving into states of delirium and cognitive uncertainty. Running until March 29th, 2025, the show brings together two of Höller’s iconic works—Pill Clock (Red and White Pills) (2015) and One Minute of Doubt (1999)—alongside two new pieces: Spinning Amanita (2025), a rotating mushroom replica, and Fly on Amanita (2025), a film documenting a housefly as it consumes a psychoactive mixture. Through these works, Höller examines the fine line between doubt as an intellectual pursuit and delirium as a pathological condition. ‘Reason has left us, and we tumble around in a delirious state. Doubt is beautiful, says Höller, but delirium becomes pathological. Höller’s works in Turn, Fly, Fall, Fly both create and treat delirious conditions of the mind, and if I know Höller well, creating a cause and annihilating it simultaneously is exactly what he is after,’ shares Baldo Hauser, Carsten Höller’s alter-ego.

all images courtesy of Carsten Höller and Galerie Micheline Szwajcer

two pieces debut at the Galerie Micheline Szwajcer’s exhibition

Positioned at the intersection of art, science, and psychology, the Belgian artist’s installations invite viewers to question perception and agency. One of the two pieces introduced in Carsten Höller’s exhibition at Galerie Micheline Szwajcer is ‘Spinning Amanita’ (2025), a life-sized fly agaric mushroom rendered in painted metal, rotating on its axis via a concealed solar-powered motor. Capable of blending into natural environments, like gardens or a forest, the sculpture plays with notions of illusion and reality. In ‘Fly on Amanita’ (2025), a housefly consumes a psychoactive mixture derived from the fly agaric mushroom, succumbing to intoxication before recovering and taking flight again—a microcosmic reflection of altered states and cyclical experiences.

‘Pill Clock (Red and White Pills)’ (2015) intensifies the themes of ‘Turn, Fly, Fall, Fly,’ with an aperture in the ceiling that dispenses a red and white capsule every three seconds, mimicking the transient nature of the present moment. Visitors may choose to take a pill, further engaging with the work’s exploration of time and perception. Meanwhile, ‘One Minute of Doubt’ (1999) captures Höller driving a white station wagon labeled ‘The Laboratory of Doubt’ through an Antwerp intersection. Equipped with speakers yet silent, the vehicle symbolizes an unresolved experiment in uncertainty.

the exhibition delves into states of delirium and cognitive uncertainty