Metaxis

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Metaxis: A Collection of Ideas and Objects by FUTUREFORMS
Exhibition
Mon, Aug 24 – Mon, Sept 28
Campbell Elmaleh Gallery

Lecture
Mon, Sept 28, 5PM
Campbell 153

What does it mean to create public art and architecture in the 21st century?

The Bay Area-based practice, FUTUREFORMS, founded by Jason Kelly Johnson and Nataly Gattegno questions the materials, tools and methods of art and architecture as we know them today. 

METAXIS is the first solo exhibition of work from FUTUREFORMS. Over 20 models and representations of extraordinary artworks and installations rethink how we dream, design and build with one essential ambition: to create vibrant and meaningful objects that are dynamically intertwined with their sites.

“The exhibition takes as its point of departure the Greek word metaxi, referring to an in‑between condition—belonging to two realms at once,” said Gattegno. “METAXIS explores what happens in between: between ideas, objects, spaces, and ways of seeing. It reflects on the dynamic state of being in the middle of things, a shifting tension or oscillation rather than a fixed condition. The exhibited works move fluidly between perception and imagination, inside and outside, presence and absence.”

Through a series of physical models, drawings, videos and photographs created by FUTUREFORMS between 2015 and 2025, the exhibition approaches art and architecture as an active process–not a static object. A process that is continually shifting and open to interpretation. The exhibited works invite viewers to contemplate these in-between states, and to experience how situated objects hold contrasting ideas in balance. These experiences have the capacity to coexist and resonate both individually and collectively.

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Futureforms' Weatherscape (2024) is a sculptural canopy on the terrace of La Nube STEAM Discovery Center in El Paso, Texas, that channels dynamic weather conditions triggering optical, material, and sound effects in multiple ways. Photos: J. Genaro Limon

About FUTUREFORMS

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FUTUREFORMS, the San Francisco-based studio of Jason Kelly Johnson (born 1973, Canada) and Nataly Gattegno (born 1977, Greece), operates at the intersection of art, architecture and design. Their pioneering practice explores how public projects can shape shared spaces—creating moments of exchange, reflection, and connection. Each site-specific installation offers a distinct spatial and material experience, contributing to the identity of a place while fostering meaningful forms of community participation. Johnson was educated at the University of Virginia and Princeton University. Gattegno was educated at Cambridge University, UK, and Princeton University. They have taught at CCA since 2009. Johnson is the founding director of CCA’s Digital Craft Lab in Architecture, and Gattegno is Chair of CCA’s Graduate Architecture program.