Studio NAWA
USA
Studio NAWA presents the Surface Collection at COLLECTIBLE New York, exploring the interplay between digital imagery and physical objects. This collection examines the boundary between material solidity and digital surfaces, inspired by Leibniz’s concept that "nature has no jumps." By translating idealized digital forms—smooth and continuous—into tangible, imperfect stainless steel sculptures, the collection blurs the line between physical and digital realms. Featuring a coffee table, chair, and side table, the pieces challenge perceptions of materiality and invite viewers to reflect on the fluid relationship between objects and their contexts.
Studio NAWA, a collaboration between Alina Nazmeeva and John Wagner based in Chicago, blends Alina’s media art background with John’s architectural expertise. Their non-linear creative process oscillates between material and digital experimentation, incorporating techniques from analog and digital fabrication to virtual reality. Alina’s fascination with early video games and digital worlds informs her critical inquiry into computer graphics and virtuality, while John’s architectural focus on assembly and material science grounds their experimental projects in tangible reality. Studio NAWA explores themes of visibility, memory, and simulation, creating objects and installations that bridge the digital and physical realms.