Transformations - NFT Group Exhibition, INSTITUT

Unit London presents Transformations, a historic IRL and URL exhibition of NFTs, offered exclusively for sale via Institut.

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Tyler Hobbs

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Jason Seife

Transformations marks the close of a year in which the advent of creative new technologies and an ongoing global pandemic have disrupted the global artistic community as well as our entire lives. From the algorithmic harmony of Maxim Zhestkov to the brave new aesthetics of Marjan Moghaddam and Ellen Sheidlin, Transformations brings together a diverse group of artists who embody these seismic cultural and social shifts.

Maxim Zhestkov

In Passengers LHR, Brendan Dawes creates a poignant record of the impact of COVID-19, visualising the undulating ebb and flow of passenger traffic through the vast international hub of Heathrow Airport over a period of nineteen months across 2020-2021. Serwah Attafuah offers a triumphant and needed image of rebirth and healing with Asklepios, a gleaming realisation of herself as the ancient Greek god of medicine.

With the strikingly organic and yet deeply digital Return Zero [Blue] 0.7, Tyler Hobbs utilises code as a creative material in the same way that paint and marble have been wielded by past artists. A timely reminder that we stand at the beginning of a vital new chapter in the snaking and regenerative course of art history.

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Chad Knight

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Serwah Attafuah

Remaining true to Unit London’s meritocratic guiding principles, Transformations celebrates artists from diverse and unconventional backgrounds, from the pro-skateboarder Chad Knight to the self-taught Unskilled Worker. Transformations ultimately invites artists and creators to reflect on how the last tumultuous twelve months have impacted and reshaped their lives and careers, as well as our own.

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Marjan Moghaddam

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IX Shells

All the works showcased in Transformations are available for sale on the Institut platform, where collectors can freely bid using either regular FIAT or cryptocurrency.

Maxim Zhestkov: Exploring complexity within simplicity

As released on Superrare Editorial

UPD: Due to some misunderstandings, misuse and cross-connection of high bidding Ethereum address with artist’s address the token has been burned by owner himself.

With hypnotic visuals and futuristic concepts, Maxim Zhestkov, for almost two decades, has posed questions about the nature of the physical and digital worlds. His works are virtual sculptures based on computer simulations and algorithms that exist in bespoke digital galleries, challenging the traditional importance of museums as places for the perception of art. At the core of Maxim’s artworks lies realism, as every project is based on algorithms that accurately capture the laws of nature.

One of the pioneering artists in the realm of digital imagery, Zhestkov has been creating his computer worlds for over two decades. As the artist describes, his fascination with computer graphics began with the first computer that he got at the age of six, the moment when he found out that he can create multiple worlds with the help of new technologies.

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Experimenting with digital illustration as a teen, Maxim decided to study architecture and graphic design at university to learn more about visual arts and to integrate this knowledge into his practice. From 2D worlds, Maxim became interested in three-dimensional artificial universes, and, since then, 3D graphics and motion continue to be his main media for self-expression.

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For Zhestkov, his work was always about decoding the real world with the help of digital tools. Having started his practice in the 2000s, the artist did not have access to 3D tools that were developed later and that have laws of physics incorporated into their algorithms. To get closer to reality, Zhestkov conducted experiments with real-world objects, examined their motion, and, using this information, animated digital objects manually. This hacking approach was defining for digital artists of that era, such as demo-scene artists, who were pushing forward the possibilities of their computer, modifying the software to create unusual visual and sound effects.

Another characterising trait of Zhestkov’s pieces is their totality. The artist is responsible for every aspect of the work — abstract computer simulations that serve as his main characters, architecture, and sound. Compounding different media, Zhestkov constructs experiences with close attention to every detail and makes every seemingly insignificant thing an important part of his vision and story.

Published on SuperRare is Zhestkov’s project Layers, was released in 2018. It is a two-minute film, which explores the theme of differences between our perception of things and their true nature. Layers features monolithic digital sculptures that get dissected by invisible forces, transforming from brutalist black blocks to complex shapes that are full of color and movement on the inside.

The artist uses the simplest three-dimensional forms — spheres, pyramids, and prisms — to cut through them and reveal their inner colourful layers, juxtaposing silent and almost featureless exteriors of sculptures with their vibrant and vivid interiors. With slow and hypnotising movement and elaborate camera motion, Zhestkov creates a universal depiction of uncovering the truth, hidden beneath the surface and requiring a closer look.

For the artist, his work is an exploration of the laws of nature that rule every system in our universe, elementary or sophisticated, predictable or chaotic. His abstract approach and attention to detail result in artworks that can be interpreted in various ways and are aesthetically flawless. Each aspect of each work is controlled by the artist, including sound and environments for his digital sculptures, so every Zhestkov’s project is an immersive experience that erases the boundaries between architecture, 3D design, music, and cinematography.