Extraordinary Miniature Interior Sets by Nix + Gerber.

Library.

Mall.

Circulation Desk.

Laundromat.

Great Hall.

Botanic Garden.

Clock Tower.

Nix + Gerber is an artist duo formed by Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber who mimic reality through their obsessively-constructed miniature post-apocalyptic dioramas. The duo have collaborated for over fourteen years; their work has primarily been the subject matter for Nix’s fine art photography, whose images of faux landscapes and gritty urban interiors have gained wide international acclaim.

“I began ‘The City’ series after moving to New York in 1999. Surrounded by great architecture, skyscrapers, and bridges, the urban landscape couldn’t help but find its way into my work,” explains Nix.

“The City” imagines what New York City and Brooklyn would look like if suddenly mankind had disappeared. The exact cause for the desertion is left vague. Was it a natural disaster, a virus, global warming, war? A few images hint at the destructive history of the space – a library dome crushed by a tornado or a subway car filled with sand. “To me, imagining something so globally catastrophic is both chilling and exciting. I often wonder about my own survival instincts when pondering an emptying city.”

“Because my work features a model and not a real place, it creates a safe space to think about these larger ideas of disaster. Devoid of people, these spaces become meditative and full of possibilities.” The details in the buildings seem more pronounced and it is these details that point back to the humans who created them. Not merely structures to protect us from wind and rain, they are examples of man’s creativity, skill, and ambition. Beauty and design marry with function to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

The viewer is drawn into the scene, allowing them to become fully immersed by the architecture and artefacts of the modern world. Time and Mother Nature become the great equaliser in these deserted spaces. Grand cultural chambers acquire the same gritty patina as the local laundromat or industrial control room. While somber at first glance, these details reveal the optimism, ambitions, and even humour of the previous inhabitants.