Penumbra: Beyond the Uncanny Valley

In 2026, Ortega y Gasset Projects presents “Penumbra: Beyond the Uncanny Valley,” an intergenerational exhibition that explores the fascination for dolls and dollhouses through a unique perspective. Inspired by the cult film “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and Mori’s uncanny valley theory, the exhibition questions the relationship between animation and inanimate objects, human and simulacrum. Artists present objects – empty garments, lifeless houses, domestic items – that evoke human presence through its absence, creating an atmosphere of unsettling strangeness. The exhibition draws on philosophical reflections on the ambiguity of the animate and inanimate, exploring how the suggestion of human form, rather than direct representation, can amplify this sensation. With works by Mike Kelley and other artists, the exhibition invites a meditation on our own anxieties and aspirations, projected into these silent objects. The exhibition is free and opens from March 7th to April 26th, 2026.