We live in a brave new world — where IRL meets the digital realm. And the AZ Awards 2022 trophy captures this spirit. An NFT created by international designer Garth Roberts, AZZY is Azure’s special, one-of-a-kind gift to the winners of our 12th annual competition.
“Being from Toronto, the AZ award has always had a special significance,” Roberts explains in his artist’s statement. “My approach to design is not a stylistic one but a personal ideal to challenge the context of the objects and materials involved, along with the accompanying limitations. The ligne rouge that connects the results of this process is the desire of the author to express creative authenticity.”
A deconstructed vision of what a trophy means in 2022, the NFT will be awarded after our AZ Awards Reveal, launching on Friday, June 24 at , where you can read Roberts’ full statement.
“As a magazine that addresses and represents modern creative culture, Azure does not only have the role of reporting on the current state of things but also being an active participant in the culture,” he explains.
“Coming from a period of social distancing due to COVID, resulting in the absence of the perennial IRL opportunities to present novelties and exchange ideas, the creative industry experienced the rise of the virtual context. It seemed only natural that Azure addressed this shift in context, not only through the necessity of adjusting the awards ceremony to a virtual event format but for the award itself to address this shift.”
The piece, which explores ASMR, or autonomic sensory meridian response, features animation and sound and was created in collaboration with digital artist Sebastian Schoellhammer and sound artist and musician Nicola Ratti. While the full experience will be exclusive to winners, we can provide this fun little teaser to give you a sense of our fun, furry little friend.
ABOUT GARTH ROBERTS
After a series of pop-up projects in collaboration with universities in New York, Milan and Berlin, Garth Roberts founded his studio in 2010 in the latter city. It operates in various fields of product design and creative direction, developing projects for clients such as CC-Tapis, Glas Italia, Kalmar Werkstätten, Mabeo Furniture, B&B Italia and Zanotta in a range of modes, from high-end furniture to contemporary art. Roberts’s works have received international awards and nominations, including the Elle Deco Design Award, the Wallpaper* Design Award, and multiple German Design Awards.
ABOUT THE AZ AWARDS
The AZ Awards 2022 Reveal launches at on Friday, June 24. Attendance is free! All winners and finalists will also be included in our AZ Awards special print edition. Check out all the finalists in advance .
The 2022 AZ Awards is presented by , and .
Sponsors of the Winners Reveal are , and .
Our media partners are: Archello, Archiexpo, Archilovers, Archinect, Archiproducts, The Architect’s Newspaper, Architonic, Bustler, Design Week Mexico, INDEX Design, Kollectif, v2com newswire and World-Architects.
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