Sheffield – the City of the Seven Hills, home to not one but two Championship football teams (at least until May), and the birthplace of immersive art and design studio Haus of Thrills (HOT), which has just debuted its is first international exhibition in New York, just two years after launching.
HOT has built a reputation for high-energy, culturally provocative exhibitions and brand collaborations since its launch in 2024, and has secured commissions from major names including Santander and Silverstone, as well as designing the 60th anniversary Mustang for Ford.
Yorkshire-born founder Kyle Wilkinson established the studio with the belief that the art world should feel “less funeral, more festival”, with work that blends art, design, music and storytelling, drawing themes from modern life.
This spring marked a defining milestone as HOT expanded into the US with Metropolis in Motion at the Myria gallery in Tribeca, New York. The exhibition featured Liked to Death, a one-of-a-kind 24-carat gold and diamond-dusted skull exploring society’s fixation with digital validation and the pursuit of being ‘liked’.
Described as a “memento mori for the modern age”, the work reflects on how expressions of love and connection have evolved in the era of social media, and the tension between affection, desire and digital approval.
Wilkinson said: “Two years ago this started as a big idea in Sheffield. Since then I’ve worked with global brands, delivered increasingly ambitious commissions and developed the studio into something with real international momentum.
“The aim has always been to create work that people don’t just view, but step into – experiences that are energetic, immersive and culturally relevant. Exhibiting in New York was a major milestone and a defining step in expanding what Haus of Thrills can become.”
Previous work includes The Clinic, a London exhibition exploring society’s addiction to digital validation, featuring installations including a giant dopamine pill and a live DJ performing as a surgeon.
Wilkinson is now preparing to bring a new iteration of The Clinic to “a city closer to home” later this year.
