In 1994, Nine Inch Nails clawed their way from the industrial underground and into the bloodstream of a restless alternative rock generation, delivering live shows that crashed like thunder and cut like wire. The stage during their Downward Spiral tour was chaos and catharsis, a spectacle of sweat, screams, and shattered inhibition. Photographer Jonathan Rach was there, lens poised, capturing every flinch and fury, every howl and hush.
Now, thirty years later, Rach’s collection from the tour storms into New York for a rare three-day exhibition, entitled Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral Exhibition, running February 21-23 at Morrison Hotel Gallery and in Los Angeles the following month. This will be its first showing on American soil. Presented by Behind The Gallery, this series has already sent shockwaves through Australia, the UK, and Japan, documenting the untamed intensity of The Downward Spiral era.
“I knew night after night that Trent [Reznor] was doing something pretty special, and they would talk about this tour for years,” Rach told Rolling Stone. “The shows had a ferocious energy matched only by the crowd out front. To this day, the industry still talks about that tour and its impact.”
Rach first worked with Nine Inch Nails on stage designs, then turned filmmaker, directing Closure. Since then, his vision has shaped projects with David Bowie, Lou Reed, Jane’s Addiction, and more. As part of the events, Rach will host an artist talk during both exhibitions, offering deeper insights and behind-the-scenes stories about this celebrated collection. In both NYC and Los Angeles, fans can also attend the special playback of The Downward Spiral album.
“To be able to show this collection after so many years and see how fans connect with it has been such a rewarding and unexpected gift,” says Rach. “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and discussing these captured moments in music history as part of the celebration.”
The exhibition unveils more than twenty striking images, capturing both the quiet intensity of backstage and the feral spectacle of career-defining performances. Rach’s photographs bottle the intensity of a band at its breaking point and its breakthrough; a time when Nine Inch Nails teetered between raw chaos and razor-sharp precision. Each frame freezes a moment of untamed motion, artifacts of a band volatile, visionary, and unforgettable. Among them: David Bowie, Lou Reed, and rare glimpses from Nine Inch Nails’ blistering six-night stand at the Hollywood Palladium in 2018.
You never know, there’s still room for surprises for this seasoned lensman.
All images will be available for purchase.
New York – Morrison Hotel Gallery (116 Prince St., NYC)
- Friday, February 21: Open all day & The Downward Spiral Playback (6–8 PM)
- Saturday, February 22: Artist Talk with Jonathan Rach
- Sunday, February 23: Open all day
Los Angeles – 7615 Sunset Blvd
- Thursday, March 6: Open all day
- Friday, March 7: The Downward Spiral Playback (6–8 PM)
- Saturday, March 8: Artist Talk with Jonathan Rach
- Sunday, March 9: Open All Day
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