Project presentation

The project by Harry Nuriev explores how an everyday object can be transformed through a shift in context, perception and meaning.

Installed in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Guénégaud, home to the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, the work brings together dozens of ordinary objects laid out on the ground in a regular grid that covers the entire courtyard, like an inventory or a vast open-air still life. This accumulation resonates with the spirit of the cabinet of curiosities that animates the museum's collections — that singular art of bringing natural objects, artefacts and artworks into dialogue within a single space of contemplation. But it also deliberately disrupts the classical architecture of the site: at the heart of this seventeenth-century courtyard, this constellation of transformed objects introduces a rupture, a foreign body that unsettles the classical order and creates a tension between past and present.

Rather than treating objects as fixed or disposable, Harry Nuriev gives them a second life. Removed from their original function and reintroduced within this new environment — at once artistic and heritage-bound — familiar objects become active participants in a larger composition. Each piece carries traces of its previous use while acquiring, through contact with the classical architecture surrounding it, a new emotional, symbolic and aesthetic value.

This approach is inspired by Marcel Duchamp, one of Harry Nuriev's most important artistic references, and rooted in his philosophy of Transformism. The installation proposes that transformation does not always require creating something entirely new. Sometimes, it begins by looking differently at what already exists — and by confronting these reinvented objects with a place steeped in history, allowing each piece to move beyond its practical purpose and become an artwork in its own right, in dialogue with the past that surrounds it.

Harry Nuriev

Harry Nuriev is an artist and designer based between Paris and New York and the founder of Crosby Studios, established in 2014. His practice spans art, design, architecture and immersive installations and is guided by his philosophy of Transformism — an approach centred on the transformation and reinterpretation of existing objects, spaces and cultural symbols. Through his work, Harry Nuriev explores the relationship between material culture, memory and contemporary life, often elevating familiar and everyday objects through unexpected contexts. His projects range from collectible design and public installations to collaborations with leading cultural and creative institutions internationally.

PARIS DESIGN WEEK

From 10 to 19 September 2026, Paris becomes, for ten days, the capital of design. Nearly 500 participants take over 320 venues (showrooms, galleries, workshops and museums) spread across Paris's iconic design districts, including the Marais. The event is largely free and open to all, with no badge or invitation required. This edition is built around the theme "Pulse in Motion", shared with Maison&Objet, calling for a collective momentum and shared energy around contemporary creation. Discover the programme: [HERE]