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Virtual art meets the physical world in a new exhibition opening today from Melbourne designer Zachary Frankel and artist Mikaela Stafford.
While Zachary is known for his bold and sculptural furniture designs, Mikaela specialises in large-scale installations and has recently delved into the world of digital animation – impressively, teaching herself all of the technology during the pandemic! But despite being worlds apart in their mediums, this new collaboration is the perfect exploration of the intersection between real and virtual spaces.
‘From the start, I felt that our new works could sit side by side and be entirely complimentary. My work exists in the physical space and Mikaela has enabled them to exist in the digital sphere in the form of 3D motion graphics,’ Zachary explains.
For Tessellate, Mikaela has re-imagined his colourful and quirky pieces of furniture as surreal 3D models ‘the scale of buildings and in spaces not limited by gravity’.
‘My intention was to take Zac’s everyday objects and insert them into impossible realities that encourage audiences to think about the possibilities and challenges of a cyber-physical future,’ Mikeala says.
The works also take part in Melbourne Design Week 2022’s larger conversation on sustainability. Zachary’s works utilise recycled materials and the exhbition’s integration of the digital world seeks to encourages audiences to rethink ‘how we engage with the everyday’.
‘I hope that people experience both of our work as an immersive experience, appreciate the possibilities of both physical and virtual spaces,’ he says. ‘And the greater intention is to create more conversations around waste and the possibility of creating long lasting, functional and beautiful pieces from it.’
See Tessellate from 17 March – 20 March at 103 Johnston St, Collingwood for free.
