Birmingham artist creates world's 'most cursed' gallery that 'puts visitors lives at risk'

A Birmingham-based art curator is behind a new 'cursed' art exhibit that threatens to put visitors' 'very lives at risk.' Ruth Millington, a local art historian and critic, has created the world's most 'dangerous' art gallery in the run up to Halloween.

Screamfest: House of Curses will bring together the most haunted artworks and objects across the country under one roof. Works include The Crying Boy, a painting said to be responsible for house fires all over Glasgow in the 70s and 80s, as well as The Grace Doll - the UK's very own 'Annabelle'.

One infamous painting, 'The Unknown Girl', is said to be so haunted that visitors will have to sign a waiver before viewing it. The London exhibition is open from Thursday, October 31 until Saturday, November 2.

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The standout exhibit at the gallery, accessible only after signing a waiver, features 'one of the most haunted paintings in existence.' "The Unknown Girl" became the focus of a media frenzy in 2023 after several owners returned it to a charity shop, reporting eerie experiences.

Some described feeling chills or being pursued by a demonic figure, and one individual reportedly even had to call an ambulance after collapsing in the presence of the painting.

Birmingham-based Ruth Millington, who curated the exhibition said: "“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.

”Hauntings, death and horror have been key themes in artwork and objects for millennia and now we’re bringing a variety of those pieces together in one high-risk exhibition this Halloween in Screamfest: House of Curses.”

Themed rooms within the gallery include ‘Cursed Creatures’, ‘Ghosts’, and ‘Possessed Children’, and guests will receive an audio guide narrating their journey, delving into the haunted backstories of each piece. The gallery is open from Thursday 31st October - Saturday 2nd November at 51 Poland Street in Soho and tickets are available to purchase here.