In the artistic concept behind the Crystals objects, Oskar Zięta focuses on the transformative power of mirrored, geometric steel forms. These are objects that alter reality—portals to the future that, like kaleidoscopes, play with sensual perception. The Crystals objects provoke and intrigue, hypnotically combining mystery with technology, and convexity with concavity.
The Crystals objects are contemporary interpretations of classical portals. The latest evolution of this concept is the Crystals Pavilion, created specially for the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw to complement the immersive exhibition Mirrors. Between Illusion and Reality. The Crystals Pavilion is an experiential object—a culmination of Zięta’s ongoing exploration of reflected light and its journey through space.
Oskar Zięta first revealed the Crystals concept to the world in 2018. The project debuted that autumn during the Light Festival in Recklinghausen, where the artist presented a vertical Crystals sculpture that refracted and reinterpreted the colours projected by Wojciech Fangor’s stained glass at the Jerke Museum.
Urban evolution of crystals
The next chapter in the crystalline narrative came with Urban Crystals, designed for the Design Pavilion in New York—an initiative realised in collaboration with NYC×DESIGN and the Times Square Alliance, celebrating the city through the installation Open to the Sky. Three slender, crystal-like forms created a vertical sculptural group rising towards the sky, opening new perspectives for the urban imagination.
Journeys of reflections
As a result of global events at the turn of 2019 and 2020, Urban Crystals never reached New York. Instead, they became part of the exhibition Deformation of Reflections – Reflections of Deformations in the gardens of the Royal Palace, part of the City Museum of Wrocław. In 2023, their kaleidoscopic mission continued in Dubai, within the Sculpture Park surrounding the DIFC Gate Building, during the 14th edition of Art Dubai. The monumental forms gained a new context in dialogue with a modern triumphal arch, while their proximity to the Museum of the Future underscored their futuristic dimension.
Many forms of metallic crystals
The evolution of the Crystals project includes travelling sculptures such as Urban Crystals, Crystal Totem at the Szczecin Philharmonic, and Crystals Monoliths. Now joining this group is the Crystals Pavilion, which completes the series of free-standing portal forms. The pavilion invites viewers inside, allowing them to experience reflections as if within a vast kaleidoscope of mirrored contexts and selves.
The utilitarian interpretation of Zięta’s crystalline concept includes such pieces as the Crystals Table, Crystals Coffee Table, wall mirrors Crystals, the prototype hanging metal lamp Crystals Kap, and the dedicated project Crystals The Frame, created in collaboration with Samsung.
