California College of the Arts Campus Gallery presents METAXIS: An exhibition of ideas and objects by FUTUREFORMS
On view January 21 through March 20, the exhibition explores the space between ideas, objects, and ways of seeing
FUTUREFORMS, Orbital, 2021. Stainless steel and aluminum, 24’ x 24’ x 33.3’. Mission Bay, San Francisco. Photo by Matthew Millman.
San Francisco, CA—January 9, 2026—California College of the Arts (CCA) presents METAXIS: An exhibition of ideas and objects by FUTUREFORMS, the San Francisco-based art and design studio of Jason Kelly Johnson and Nataly Gattegno. On view from January 21 through March 20, 2026, METAXIS explores the moments that exist between ideas, objects, spaces, and ways of seeing.
Through a series of detailed models, drawings, and photographs created by FUTUREFORMS between 2015 and 2025, the exhibition approaches architecture as an active process, continually shifting and open to interpretation. The works invite viewers to experience how architecture and art can hold contrasting ideas in balance, allowing them to coexist and resonate both individually and collectively. Over 20 models and representations of artworks and installations rethink how we dream, design, and build with one ambition: to create vibrant and meaningful objects that are dynamically intertwined with their sites.
The opening reception is on Thursday, January 22, at 5 pm, during San Francisco Art Week. Johnson and Gattegno will lead a gallery talk, studio visit, and walking tour on Friday, February 6, at 12:30 pm.
“The exhibition takes as its point of departure the Greek word metaxi, referring to an in‑between condition—belonging to two realms at once,” said Gattegno. “METAXIS explores what happens in between: between ideas, objects, spaces, and ways of seeing. It reflects on the dynamic state of being in the middle of things, a shifting tension or oscillation rather than a fixed condition. The exhibited works move fluidly between perception and imagination, inside and outside, presence and absence.”
“METAXIS draws on multiple modes of representation to document our creative process over the last 10 years. The exhibition is structured like a studio visit, with process models and prototypes exhibited alongside more finished work,” said Johnson. “It illustrates how our practice brings together knowledge and tools from multiple disciplines—art, architecture, computational design, and more.”
Orbital, a twisting public sculpture located in San Francisco, is represented by several detailed physical models and a full-scale mockup featuring colored anodized aluminum shingles. The Dragon Pavilion, an outdoor public bandshell in San Jose, is represented by a series of models and perforated shade panel studies. Scaling up further, Stretto, a 60-foot-tall public sculpture wrapping around a concert hall and currently under construction in Anaheim, California, is represented by two study models focused on its intricate reptile-like skin. Both site-specific projects question the static nature of their surroundings by infusing them with dynamically sited forms, rich with geometric and material complexity. They engage one of the driving questions of the METAXIS exhibition: How can art be a catalyst for activating the space between things?
Johnson and Gattegno will deliver a public lecture in CCA’s Nave Presentation Space on Thursday, March 19 at 5 pm, followed by the closing reception. After this showing, METAXIS will travel to the Elmaleh Gallery at the University of Virginia, opening in September 2026.
Explore FUTUREFORMS’ public installations
Visitors can also experience several public art installations by FUTUREFORMS near the CCA Campus Gallery:
- Metamorphosis, 2024 | 17th Street between San Bruno and Vermont Streets
- Orbital, 2021 | Pierpoint Lane and Bridgeview Way, Mission Bay
- Leviathan, 2025 | Moscone Center, 750 Howard Street
Exhibition Details
Dates: January 21 – March 20, 2026
Location: CCA Campus Gallery, 1480 17th Street, San Francisco
Admission: Free and open to the public
Gallery Hours: Wednesday, 11 am–7 pm; Thursday and Friday, 11 am–4 pm
About FUTUREFORMS
FUTUREFORMS, the San Francisco-based studio of Jason Kelly Johnson (born 1973, Canada) and Nataly Gattegno (born 1977, Greece), operates at the intersection of art, architecture and design. Their pioneering practice explores how public projects can shape shared spaces—creating moments of exchange, reflection, and connection. Each site-specific installation offers a distinct spatial and material experience, contributing to the identity of a place while fostering meaningful forms of community participation. Johnson was educated at the University of Virginia and Princeton University. Gattegno was educated at Cambridge University, UK, and Princeton University. They have taught at CCA since 2009. Johnson is the founding director of CCA’s Digital Craft Lab in Architecture, and Gattegno is Chair of CCA’s Graduate Architecture program.