Carsten Höller Turns UCCA Beijing into a Laboratory of Doubt

Entering a Carsten Höller exhibition often means losing your balance - both physically and mentally. The artist, trained in agricultural science, has developed a practice where experimentation becomes artistic experience and the exhibition space turns into what he calls a “Laboratory of Doubt.” At UCCA in Beijing, Höller presents a selection of his most iconic works alongside new projects created specifically for the Chinese capital. The exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in environments that alter perception: slides spiraling through galleries, optical devices that flip visual orientation, and installations that play with light, sound, and scale. Since the early 1990s, when he turned toward art after a career in scientific research, Höller has explored the relationship between play, technology, and human behavior. His installations often transform viewers into active participants, creating collective situations where perception and interaction become part of the artwork. From amusement-park devices to perceptual experiments, Höller’s work continues to question how we construct reality and share space with others.