white foam envelops underground gallery in harry nuriev's debut solo show at berlin art week

Immersive Foam Room Pops Up At Berlin Art Week

At the 2024 Berlin Art Week, Harry Nuriev unveils his debut solo exhibition, The Foam Room, at the DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM gallery. Running until November 16th, the show features a mirrored installation that continuously produces and releases thick white foam, gradually filling the underground space. The interplay between the reflective surfaces and the growing foam creates an immersive environment, encouraging visitors to engage, reflect, and fully experience the evolving atmosphere.

Harry Nuriev’s The Foam Room at DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin 2024 © Harry Nuriev, 2024, courtesy DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM, Berlin | all images by Benoit Florençon, unless stated otherwise

Harry Nuriev’s Debut Solo Show at DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM

At the heart of The Foam Room by Harry Nuriev is the concept of a foam party—an immersive phenomenon where millions of air bubbles are suspended within a delicate film of water, held together by soap molecules. This short-lived display capable of rapid expansion and dissolution reflects the fast-paced nature of the contemporary industry and our fleeting attention to spatial and economic issues. In today’s consultative era, art is often reduced to a spectacle or marketing tool, much like foam, which bursts and vanishes in an instant. The New York- and Paris-based artist, founder, and creative director of Crosby Studios presents his signature Transformism and reconstructive style that blends art, design, architecture, and fashion, dissolving the traditional boundaries between these disciplines. 

An essay by Justine Ludwig, Executive Director of Creative Time, accompanies the exhibition and delves deeper into Nuriev’s work. Ludwig describes foam as a playful element inspired by 90s foam parties and queer culture. Nuriev transforms the gallery into a space beyond societal norms, where foam hints at an otherworldly vibe but quickly fades, symbolizing fleeting fulfillment. As Justine Ludwig explains, Nuriev is also intrigued by the idea of cleanliness, represented by both foam and soap, which offer a surface-level removal of bodily fluids to present a ‘clean’ body. Alongside the foam, Nuriev displays soap bars containing everyday objects like broken lighters, old phones, and damaged wires. These items, encased like fossils, lose their practical use and become decorative relics, reflecting our reliance on technology. By making them useless, Nuriev critiques our dependence on these items and invites us to question their purpose. This focus on cleanliness is combined with a critique of consumerism, showing how excessive consumption becomes harmful. Nuriev points to how we’ve been conditioned to believe that collecting things defines our identities. In this view, objects become more than just tools; they turn into symbols of who we are and what we aspire to, shaping how we express ourselves to others.

the show features a mirrored installation that continuously produces and releases foam

thick white foam, gradually fills the underground space

the interplay between the reflective surfaces and the growing foam creates an immersive environment

Nuriev reflects on the idea of cleanliness, represented by both foam and soap | image © designboom

foam serves as a playful element, drawing inspiration from 90s foam parties and queer culture | image © designboom

the foam hints at the potential to flood the space and create an otherworldly vibe | photo by Benoit Florençon

the piece encourages visitors to fully experience the evolving atmosphere | image © designboom

the foam quickly fades away, symbolizing the illusion of fulfillment | image © designboom

alongside the foam, Nuriev displays soap bars containing everyday objects | image © designboom

broken lighters, old phones, and damaged wires can be found inside the soap bars | image © designboom

the items, encased like fossils, lose their practical use and become decorative relics | image © designboom

project info: 

name: The Foam Room
artist: Harry Nuriev | @harrynuriev
location: DITTRICH & SCHLECHTRIEM | @dittrichschlechtriem
event: Berlin Art Week | @berlinartweek
dates: September 13th – November 16th, 2024