Explaining the Mystical with Hilma’s Ghost
**Hilma’s Ghost: A Collective Reviving Mystical Art Forms**
Nearly eight years ago, the Guggenheim Museum in New York hosted a groundbreaking retrospective, “Paintings for the Future,” showcasing the works of Hilma af Klint. This exhibition challenged established narratives of the abstraction movement within art history, drawing record-breaking attendance and lifting af Klint from obscurity in North America. Known for her devotion to spiritualism and Theosophy, af Klint’s work highlighted the underexplored intersection of art and mysticism.
The exhibition stirred renewed interest in spirituality and the occult, catalyzing the formation of Hilma’s Ghost during the COVID-19 pandemic. This feminist artist collective, co-founded by artists Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray, aims to explore and reclaim alternative, often marginalized historical narratives in art.
Tegeder and Ray, both educators and artists with rich individual practices, began this collaborative effort remotely when their studios in Manhattan were inaccessible. Tegeder, a City University of New York professor, brings her experience in tarot and witchcraft, abstracting utopian concepts through schematic forms. Ray, teaching at Carnegie Mellon University, infuses her art with neo-tantric elements, exploring themes of migration and queer identity through her cultural heritage.
The collective emerged as a platform to highlight how women and queer artists have historically been excluded for their unconventional modes of creating art. Through workshops on ancient cosmologies, witchcraft, and tarot, Hilma’s Ghost offers educational experiences that reclaim and destigmatize esoteric practices. Their approach attracts a diverse audience and fosters critical discussions on the power dynamics intrinsically linked to skepticism of the occult.
Their flagship project, “Abstract Futures Tarot,” debuted in 2021 as part of the Armory Show. It includes a limited-edition tarot deck and large paintings inspired by divination, aligning with the legacies of Pamela Colman Smith and Lady Freida Harris. The presentation combines geometric abstraction with a vibrant, mystical energy.
Hilma’s Ghost’s influence extends through public installations, notably the “Abstract Futures” mosaic at Grand Central Station, commissioned by the MTA Arts and Design program. This installation transforms the 42nd Street entrance into a vivid tapestry of esoteric symbolism and public art.
Operating across various cultural contexts, the collective has organized rituals and exhibits, nurturing an inclusive environment for exploring experimental art practices. With ongoing projects and exhibitions, Hilma’s Ghost continues to amplify underrepresented voices, fostering a collaborative community that thrives in the overlooked corners of art history. Through these efforts, Tegeder and Ray challenge traditional narratives, encouraging an investigative rediscovery of spiritualties, honoring artists cast aside in historical discourse.