Art Meets Home

When artists open the door to a new project, there’s no telling what everyday objects might spark inspiration: a child’s forgotten toy, a stack of blankets, even the family’s hurricane-prep kit. And for Houston’s longtime artistic duo Hillerbrand+Magsamen, the magic has always lived in the ordinary.

For more than two decades, the husband-and-wife team—Stephan Hillerbrand and Mary Magsamen—has explored the playful tension between family life, memory, and creativity. Now, thanks to FotoFest, their past 25 years of experimentation, parenting, and joyful chaos have finally been brought together in one place.

Across Houston’s art scene, audiences are embracing more interactive, domestic-inspired work. The couple’s new survey exhibition, Hillerbrand+Magsamen: nothing is precious, everything is game, highlights exactly that—an artistic approach rooted in humor, messiness, and the unexpected beauty of everyday living.

According to FotoFest’s executive director Steven Evans and associate curator Madi Murphy, the duo’s work feels especially resonant now. Rather than separating art from daily life, Stephan and Mary fold both worlds together, blurring the line between the two. “It’s warm, open, and deeply familiar,” Evans says. “People here know their work, but they’ve never had the chance to see it in one sweeping view.”

The couple met in graduate school at the Cranbrook Academy of Art before eventually landing in Houston with two small children. Inspired by the Fluxus movement—known for its humor and irreverence—they built a studio within their home, letting their real lives drive their artistic imagination. “We decided our house would be our laboratory,” Hillerbrand says. Toys, pets, errands, plastic clutter—everything became material.

That philosophy shines in their Mandala series, a centerpiece of the exhibition. Twelve large circular sculptures, made from toys and household objects, reflect a meditation on accumulation, nostalgia, and impermanence. Some are color-coded—pinks and reds, greens and blues—while others revolve around themes like Legos or stuffed animals. “We were trying to find peace for all this stuff we’d collected,” Magsamen says. Visitors often spot objects they once owned themselves, turning the work into a universal moment of recognition.

Another major theme—comfort—emerges in their 2013 series, born when Hillerbrand constructed a thick wall from random household items in their garage door, and Magsamen responded by stuffing blankets and sweaters into the front door. The resulting photographs, printed on Walmart blankets, transform clutter into something warm and familiar.

Their playful spirit extends into one of their most recognizable bodies of work: 147 Devices for Integrated Principles, created with playwright Kirk Lynn from 2017 to 2020. Inspired by their family’s preparation for Hurricane Harvey, the multimedia series features everything from punctured and sewn photographs to a bedazzled Little Tikes Cozy Coupe presented like a luxury car. “The play isn’t just in the themes—it’s happening in the studio,” Hillerbrand says.

As their children have grown and left for college, the duo’s work has shifted again, reflecting new life phases and changing rhythms. The exhibition, Murphy notes, reveals these transitions clearly—from early family chaos to the quiet curiosity of an empty nest. “It’s approachable and personal,” she says. “Everyone sees a bit of themselves in it.”

Whether through towering object mandalas or reimagined household walls, Hillerbrand+Magsamen invite viewers to see creativity in the places they’d least expect it.

Know Before You Go
When: October 8–November 22
Where: Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards St.
Cost: Free