The show, entitled “Momentum,” marks Wazed’s first major solo exhibition. Inspired by movement, synchronicity, and his own life, the show incorporates the artist’s various technical practices including painting, sculpture, dance, and creative new media (e.g. augmented reality, 3D modeling and printing). A reflection on Wazed’s fascination with concepts of momentum and relativity, for this exhibition, the artist will transform the gallery into an entirely immersive installation designed to bring attention to the viewer’s own sense of personal momentum. The show will be co-curated by the artist and ABXY founder, Allison Barker, who discovered Wazed in 2015.

PAINTING: For “Momentum,” the artist will unveil a new collection of paintings. These latest works, spiraling linear abstractions, primarily executed in a palette of black, white, and gold, allude to the artist’s favorite book, “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho. An allegorical novel, The Alchemist follows a young Andalusian shepherd on his journey to the pyramids of Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding a treasure there. Like ancient maps or swirling electrical diagrams, Wazed’s winding graphic compositions intend to bring the viewer’s awareness to their own personal journey and the pathways we forge as we move through space and time.

DANCE: Opening night, Wazed will present a work of performance art, entitled, “Last Stop.” The piece includes eight dancers (including Wazed) who will perform the artist’s choreography to music and narrative interludes written by Wazed in collaboration with poet Libby Mislan. Inspired by the movement of the city, for “Last Stop,” dancers will perform a series of freestyle vignettes based on scenes from the New York City the subway.

AUGMENTED REALITY: Throughout the length of the exhibition, visitors will be able to view a sampling of that choreography, which the artist has performed, filmed, and converted into augmented reality in collaboration with David Lobser, founder of Object Normal, a collective of artists and innovators with a diverse background in static, time-based and interactive media. In a multi-media process using software to track the paintings in the gallery, Wazed was able overlay a virtual recording of his performance onto his own artwork. Designed to illustrate the relationship between the artist’s dance practice and his visual work, by holding the gallery’s iPad up to a given painting, visitors will be able to watch as a silhouette of the artist appears to dance across the surface of the artwork.

SCULPTURE: The sculptural work presented in the show was also designed in virtual reality. Inspired by a Frank Stella sculpture the artist admired in the home of a collector, Wazed created a series of twisting golden orbs using Google’s latest 3D modeling program Google Blocks, and an HTC Vive VR module. Blocks eases the complications associated with designing 3D objects on 2D monitors by allowing users to design 3D objects in virtual reality. Once the artist had modeled the sculptures in Google Blocks, he then brought his swirling geometric forms to life using 3D printing (in collaboration with 3D Brooklyn, a local 3D Printing, CAD Design and Prototyping lab based in Ridgewood, Brooklyn). The sculptures were created in collaboration with Alex Vasilyev, a senior project manager at Milgo Bufkin. Specializing in custom architecture and sculpture, Milgo Bufkin has created monumental works for artists such as Robert Indiana and Jeff Koons.

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