Metaphysical Realism as an Art

PANTERRA is an international collective of artists — Kira Borisova, Viktoria Stroy, and Pavel Nedostoeyev — with over 20 years of experience in events, architecture, and multimedia. They work at the intersection of art, technology, and philosophy, creating their own aesthetic and conceptual platform. PANTERRA describes itself as a group of researchers — a collective rethinking humanity’s relationship with nature, technology, and space.

Their artistic approach is called “New Metaphysical Realism” — a concept in which a deliberate synthesis of art, technology, nature, and “magic” transforms space into a living, fluid field of perception. In this system, there is no clear boundary between the “real” and the “imagined” — everything becomes part of a continuous flow, part of a new form of experience.

Their installations take the form of futuristic shapes, reminiscent of the universes of Blade Runner or the game Cyberpunk 2077. These visually captivating objects have a distinct aesthetic: on one hand, they evoke unease; on the other, they mesmerize with their alien quality.

As the artists themselves describe it, this installation represents a metaphysical artifact — a fragment, testimony, or confession from a future century where artificial intelligence and human heritage have merged into a new form of existence.

The installation was set up on a pier in the frosty city of Murmansk (Russia), against the backdrop of an icebreaker, which definitively set the tone for the entire composition and created the feeling of a time-lost artifact in a posthuman space.

This piece exists on stage as a character — a technological archetype reflecting human internal states, the desire to keep up with progress, and the uncertainty of who will ultimately share the fate of creation: artificial intelligence or its creator.

A sculptural multimedia installation created at the intersection of performance art, engineering, and philosophy. It becomes a living architecture of time — a chronomorph: a body in transformation, a machine of perception, and a witness to the fragile dialogue between human and artificial intelligence. In this work, trust, progress, and memory are embodied not through words, but through matter and light, movement, and constructed structure.

Another fascinating work by the collective, this time presented at a music festival.

According to the artists, this installation is a mediator between the visible and the invisible, between silence and motion. In ancient times, a talisman connected humans with forces they could not control directly. Here, it takes on a new form: by day it stores energy, and by night it comes alive, breathing and shimmering in the rhythm of nature.

It’s hard to mention all of the works in this project — there are now dozens. If you’re interested, visit panterra.tokyo to explore more.