Dormitorium: an Exhibition of Film Decors by the Quay Bros

Parsons The New School for Design will present Dormitorium: An Exhibition of Film Decors by the Quay Bros., from July 15 through October 4, 2009.

The exhibition explores the macabre fantasy world of twin brothers Stephen and Timothy Quay through the highly detailed miniature sets of their influential stop-motion animations.

Organized by the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Dormitorium represents the first time the sets of the London-based Quays have been exhibited in North America.

The Quay Brothers have built a cult following with their dark, moody films, which are heavily influenced by Eastern European film, literature, and music and often feature disassembled dolls and no spoken dialogue.

The exhibition will combine 11 rarely seen, collaboratively designed miniature decors from some of the Quays' most prominent works, as well as continuous screenings of excerpts from several of the films.

"Exploring the design process in relation to how we construct narratives is an important part of a Parsons education, and Dormitorium is an exhibition that goes beyond retrospective to really investigate the nature of creative work," said Lydia Matthews, the dean of academic programs at Parsons The New School for Design.