A.A. Murakami

Biography

A.A. Murakami is the collaborative art practice of Azusa Murakami (born 1984, Japan) and Alexander Groves (born 1983, UK), a Tokyo- and London-based duo known for immersive installations that fuse scientific experimentation with sensory, ephemeral spectacle. The pair first worked together as Studio Swine, a design collective they founded in 2011, producing design objects, films, and installations rooted in deep material research and regional identity. In 2020 they began working under the name A.A. Murakami to distinguish their fine-art practice from their design work, applying the same interest in sustainable materials and experimental process to large-scale immersive environments. The duo's practice centers on what they describe as ephemeral, sensory-driven experiences: installations built from soap bubbles, scent, light, and automated systems that dissolve or disappear as visitors encounter them, turning transience itself into subject matter. Their work explores the boundary between technology and nature, using engineering and automation to stage moments that feel organic and fleeting rather than mechanical. Notable projects include Gyrecraft, an early work addressing ocean plastic, and Floating World, a major immersive exhibition presented at M+ museum in Hong Kong and later at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, which submerged viewers in floating bubble-based environments. A.A. Murakami's work has been shown internationally at institutions and fairs including Pearl Lam Projects and Milan Design Week, and the duo has extended their practice into digital collectibles and NFTs, applying their concept of ephemerality to blockchain-based art. Across mediums, from physical installation to moving image to digital token, Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves continue to investigate how research into materials, resources, and craft can be transformed into immersive, momentary encounters between audiences and art.