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Hyperallergic’s annual art-themed Halloween party brought nearly 200 guests to Oberon in Brooklyn on October 28, 2026. The costume contest recognized Emilio Rojas and Chico Raro as Best in Show for their portrayal of Pedro Lemebel and Francisco Casa Silva in Las Yeguas del Apocalipsis’s “Las Dos Fridas.”
Hyperallergic’s annual Halloween party brought nearly 200 members, readers, artists, supporters, and guests to Oberon in Brooklyn on October 28, 2026, with an art-history-themed costume contest awarding prizes for interpretations ranging from Goya to contemporary performance art. The publication’s photo report named Emilio Rojas and Chico Raro Best in Show for costumes representing Pedro Lemebel and Francisco Casa Silva in the 1989 work “Las Dos Fridas.”
Hyperallergic described the gathering as its annual art costume party. The contest included categories such as Best in Show, Most Esoteric, “Most Likely to Get Censored in Florida,” and “Most Likely to Get Acquired by a Museum Unironically.” The event report said almost 200 people attended; it did not provide a full list of entrants or a count of costumes.
Zoë Lescaze and Michael Rossi were among the winners in the Most Esoteric category. They made their costumes from scratch, including a chair, to portray lesser-known figures from Francisco Goya’s “Los caprichos” series, dated 1797–98. Curators and staff from the Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, New York, recreated George Grosz’s 1926 antifascist painting “Eclipse of the Sun” for the museum-acquisition category.
The People’s Choice award went to Melissa Brown and Marie Lorenz, who portrayed the botched “Ecce Homo” restoration—often nicknamed “Beast Jesus”—and its restorer, Cecilia Giménez Zueco. Other costumes included Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” Roy Lichtenstein’s “Drowning Girl,” and works connected to Marina Abramović and Ulay. Hyperallergic credited Zac Thompson with the event photographs.
Art History Takes Costume Form
The party offered an informal, public-facing way to encounter references that can span museum collections, art history, and performance. Familiar images such as Vermeer’s portrait appeared alongside less widely known works, including Goya’s prints and the 1989 performance-art reference behind the Best in Show costumes.
The awards also made the event more than a gallery of recognizable characters: the categories invited guests to interpret art through humor, current cultural references, and handmade construction. The Heckscher Museum team’s recreation of an antifascist painting, for example, brought the original work’s political subject into a party setting. The report documents these costumes and awards; it does not establish how attendees or the wider public responded beyond the People’s Choice result.
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A Party Built Around Art
Hyperallergic identifies the gathering as its annual art costume party. Its 2026 report placed the event at Oberon, in Brooklyn, on Wednesday evening, October 28, and described attendees as members, readers, artists, supporters, and their friends. The publication’s account centers on the contest results and photographs rather than a broader program or formal exhibition.
Several costumes drew on works with distinct histories. “Las Dos Fridas” was made by the Chilean art collective Las Yeguas del Apocalipsis in 1989, while the Goya costumes referenced “Los caprichos,” a print series from 1797–98. Grosz’s “Eclipse of the Sun,” recreated by Heckscher Museum staff, dates to 1926. The report also noted two costumes referencing Abramović and Ulay’s performance works, “Rest Energy” (1980) and “Relation in Time” (1977).
““No bribing was necessary to convince the panel.””
— Hyperallergic’s event report
Details Beyond the Photo Report
The report does not give the names of all contest judges in connection with each award, describe the voting process, or provide a complete attendance breakdown. It also does not say whether any costumes or artworks were displayed beyond the party itself. Hyperallergic published the winners and photographs, but the source material does not specify a subsequent exhibition, award ceremony, or other formal follow-up.
The Next Party Is Unannounced
Hyperallergic’s report looked ahead to another annual party, but it did not announce a date, venue, or program for 2027. For now, the published photographs and winner descriptions serve as the record of the 2026 event. Any future party plans remain unconfirmed in the available material.
Key Questions
When and where was Hyperallergic’s 2026 Halloween party?
The party took place on Wednesday evening, October 28, 2026, at Oberon in Brooklyn, according to Hyperallergic’s report.
Who won Best in Show?
Emilio Rojas and Chico Raro won Best in Show for costumes representing Pedro Lemebel and Francisco Casa Silva in Las Yeguas del Apocalipsis’s “Las Dos Fridas” (1989).
Who won the People’s Choice award?
Melissa Brown and Marie Lorenz won the crowd’s choice award with costumes representing the “Ecce Homo” restoration—also known as “Beast Jesus”—and restorer Cecilia Giménez Zueco.
What was the Most Esoteric costume?
Zoë Lescaze and Michael Rossi were among the category’s winners for handmade costumes based on lesser-known characters from Francisco Goya’s “Los caprichos” series.
Has Hyperallergic announced its next Halloween party?
No date or venue for a 2027 party appears in the available report. The publication described the event as annual but did not provide next year’s plans.
Source: hyperallergic.com
