Wang & Söderström Phygital Art

“With one leg in the physical world and the other in the digital realm,” duo Anny Wang & Tim Söderström have gathered quite the following for their satisfyingly real renders.

As the creative industry grows increasingly fascinated with the world of virtual reality, Wang & Söderström offer a softer, less daunting introduction, particularly in their latest exhibition Transitional Speculation at Volvo Studio, Stockholm.

Wang & Söderström’s digital work displays familiar objects as it’s “the physical world where they find their inspiration,” developing from Anny’s background in spatial and furniture design, while Tim was previously an architect. In portraying their interest in objects via 3D software, the pair have grown a collection of work which “derives from experiences, images or phenomenon from the world around us and is subsequently translated to digital imagery.”

Often digital artworks can be difficult to comprehend, particularly when displayed in a gallery setting. But in their use of objects such as a vase, a pebble, or by building miniature sculptures from malleable and textured materials, Wang & Söderström have created digital art you want to reach out and touch. This, coupled with 3D physical representations of objects in the gallery space, fully shows the pair’s expansive practice.

Transitional Speculation is Wang & Söderström’s first major exhibition in Stockholm and “is the first time where we have a platform where we can showcase a broader perspective of our works,” says Tim.

“With additional works, both digital and physical, the foundation of our practice which originates in the physical world, is more comprehensible.” In its combination of the unexpected and twisted familiar, the exhibition aims to create an “experience of something ostensibly well-known, something one recognises from the real world that suddenly feels warped,” adds Anny. “Where a small detail makes you question what you are seeing and by extension, how you are perceiving the world.”