Harry Nuriev’s ‘Transformism’ Explores How Chess and Fragrance Unfold Over Time

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Summary

  • At Milan Design Week 2026, Harry Nuriev and Clive Christian Perfume present Transformism: A Silver Chessboard, where visitors can engage with a life‑size silver chessboard
  • The installation merges fragrance identity with spatial art, exploring transformation through perception and interaction

Okay, so at Milan Design Week 2026, I saw this really cool installation by Harry Nuriev from Crosby Studios. It was called Transformism: A Silver Chessboard, and it was made in partnership with Clive Christian Perfume. It was totally immersive – you really felt like you were in it.

Inside the historic Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, a new installation transforms everyday shapes by changing their size, materials, and surroundings. The goal is to capture the feeling of the perfume brand and create an immersive experience that goes beyond just the product itself, enveloping visitors in a luxurious atmosphere. Guests can walk across a giant, silver chessboard, directly interacting with its simple but impressive design.

The installation features queens adorned with designs inspired by Clive Christian’s signature perfume bottle, bringing a well-known brand image to life as a sculpture. This connection between the object and its meaning highlights the installation’s main idea: how things change depending on how we see and experience them. Nuriev compares a chess game to the way a fragrance develops, noting that both unfold in stages, creating a sense of anticipation and leaving a lasting impression.

Transformism
extends the ongoing creative dialogue between Clive Christian and Crosby Studios, following projects such as the brand’s flagship opening on New Bond Street in London. By merging luxury perfume identity with spatial art, the installation demonstrates how brand essence can move beyond product into atmosphere and experience. It embodies the idea that true luxury is not only seen but felt — an immersive environment where chess and fragrance converge as metaphors for presence and transformation.

 

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2026-05-04 14:25