Halloween has brought a new kind of existential horror to the UK this year. The Kraken Rum and creative agency, Cow, have opened what could be the world’s most dangerous art gallery. The temporary exhibition will, for the first time, bring together the most notorious haunted and cursed artworks and objects in the country, all known to have inflicted terror and suffering upon those that have gazed upon them.

Kraken’s House of Curses, expertly curated by art historian and critic, Ruth Millington, is made up of six psychologically thrilling themed mini-exhibits, including Cursed Creatures, Possessed Children and modern day, Creepypasta Internet Lore, with visitors receiving a walkthrough audio guide delving into the haunted backstories of each piece.

Visitors enter through Cursed Creatures to find themselves in Ghost, where they see haunted projector slides from the Birmingham & Midlands Institute as well as original artwork by Zac Webb, painted during his time in residency at Ohio’s most haunted house. Moving through to Skeleton, the theme of death becomes ever more prevalent, through an original Damien Hirst skull, The Dream is Dead. Room four explores the darkest corners of internet lore from Slenderman to Goat Man and Creepypasta legends, before moving through to Dolls which hosts one of the UK’s most haunted items, The Grace Doll. Known as the UK’s Annabelle, the doll, donated by paranormal investigator, Danny Moss, has been seen to move inside her enclosed glass box as well as threatening to ‘burn [visitors’] eyes out.’

In the next room visitors are surrounded by a series of Possessed Children paintings including the Crying Boy that was said to have caused homes to burn down in Scotland. There is also the deeply unsettling The Hands Resist Him portrait: a horror-stricken painting which seemed to cause the deaths of those closely associated with it. So evil is this work that even the reproductions are said to be possessed with a malevolent force.

Only after signing a waiver can visitors enter the final exhibit. It contains one of the most haunted paintings of them all. This original piece was the centre of a 2023 media storm after it was returned to a charity shop by multiple owners who reported chills, being chased by a demonic figure and one person even having to call an ambulance after collapsing in the painting’s presence. Those who do dare enter will be granted only a short time in the presence of The Unknown Girl, currently on loan from The London Bridge Experience, before being ushered out to the safety of The Kraken Bar.

There a menu of cocktails inspired by the haunted artworks greet shell-shocked visitors, as well as burning sage-laced drinks to ward away evil. But the thrills continue with a tarot card reader and Zoltar machine.

Art curator, Ruth Millington, stated, “House of Curses is the most intense exhibition I’ve ever curated. From the legend of The Kraken itself to real-life haunted pieces that have inflicted all manner of terror upon owners and artists, this is a gallery not to be missed – providing you’re brave enough.”

Tickets for Screamfest: House of Curses cost £10 and include entry and two free drinks, including a welcome drink. The exhibition is live from Thursday October 31 through to Saturday November 2 at 51 Poland Street, Soho (London W1F 7ND) and guests can select a ticketed session between 5-8pm and 8-11pm*. Free walk-in sessions will be available during the day on Friday and Saturday, however these will not include free drinks.

Artworks and artefacts featured in the exhibition

• 18^th century vampire slaying kit: An original antique piece containing a crucifix, leather-bound bible, telescope and stake, purported to be haunted by owner as it unlocks itself at night, and casts unnerving shadows
• The Kraken Supposed a Sepia or Cuttlefish by Pierre Denys de Montfort: A Victorian era print by Denys de Montfert who had a fascination with the pursuit of giant octopuses such as the legendary Kraken
• Curious creatures loaned by The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities (mermaid, selkie hand and feet, two-headed lamb, dragon paw, basilisk): Collected by Wynd from his travels across the globe
• Brown Lady of Raynham Hall photograph, provided by Country Life: A photograph captured by two photographers from Country Life at Raynham Hall in Norfolk, showing the apparition of Dorothy Walpole on the stately home’s staircase.
• Haunted photo slides loaned by the Birmingham & Midlands Institute: These original slides didn’t contain any human figures when first captured, however over time, the images of children from the Edwardian era have appeared, staring directly out at the viewer
• ‘Burning Desire’, ‘The Day After’ and ‘Torn Apart’ by Zac Webb: Three original paintings, crafted during the artist’s residency at the most haunted house in Ohio, where he began to be haunted by strange figures in his dreams which were then depicted in his artwork
• ‘The Ghosts of the Slain’ by Joseph Southall: Art depicting massed ranks of the ghosts of dead soldiers for WWI rising from their graves into the diplomat’s marbled hall to confront those who bear responsibility for their slaughter
• ‘The Dream is Dead’ by Damien Hirst: An original piece highlighting Hirst’s deep, morbid fascination with death, symbolised in these iconic skull sculptures
• ‘Life and Death’, ‘A Woman Divided Into’ and ‘The Dance of Death’ from The Wellcome Collection: Examples of how death and skeletons have been represented in artwork through the ages
• The Grace Doll, Willow Doll and Clown Puppet loaned by paranormal investigator Danny Moss: All original haunted items, The Grace Doll has been referred to as one of the UK’s most haunted items, and is also known as the UK’s Annabelle. Paranormal activity has been widely reported across all three dolls.
• ‘The Hands Resist Him’, ‘The Hands Invent Him’, ‘The Threshold of Revelation’ and ‘Resistance at the Threshold’ by Bill Stoneham: A self-representation of artist Stoneham as a child with puppet-like possessed hands reaching out towards him. Ever since being shown in public, unsettling things have happened to those who cross its path from the spirits of the children emerging from the painting to illness and even death.
• ‘The Crying Boy’ by Giovanni Bregolin: A notorious series of paintings, where mass-produced prints were known for causing hundreds of house fires in the 70s and 80s, particularly across Yorkshire. The painting was always the only item left in tact after the fire.
• ‘The Boy’ by unknown artist (original): Removed from a house in Wales during a paranormal investigation, where the noises of children were heard in the house despite no children being present.
• ‘The Unknown Girl’, loaned by London Bridge Experience (original): A seemingly innocuous painting that gained notoriety after it was returned to a UK charity shop multiple times by owners who reported being chased by dark figures, serious illness, and even death.