Rebooting Nostalgia: Air max table is an ode to 90s Digital Culture
Nigel VMU transforms Nike’s Air Sunder into a brutalist table for Offspring — blending sneaker culture, 90s digital nostalgia, and concrete craftsmanship into a functional artwork that redefines how we experience retail, memory, and design. The sculptural installation, the AirMax Table, is an ode to 90s digital culture, created in celebration of the re-release of the iconic model – part of the bold, nostalgic Hi-Lighter Pack.
The 1990s was a seismic era for design and culture — a transition from analogue to digital, from bitmap to 3D render — and as such, the work draws inspiration from the time’s neon-coded optimism to form a hybrid artwork and furniture piece that bridges the digital past and the physical present.
photographer: Aaron Watson-McNab
Nike and offspring tap nigel vmu for the brutalist installation
Inspired by the neon-coded optimism of that 90s, multidisciplinary artist and designer Nigel VMU reimagined the Nike Air Sunder through a 90s digital lens: bold colours, block graphics, and raw materials reminiscent of early tech environments. At the heart of the piece is a set of life-sized Nike Air Max Sunder sneaker legs, which form the base structure of the table. They’re flanked by chunky, block-lettered ‘AIRMAX’ typography legs — a reference to pixelated typefaces and low-resolution display aesthetics. The tabletop itself is cast in industrial concrete, grounding the work in a material language of construction, durability, and brutalist nostalgia. ‘The 90s were all about raw energy — gaming consoles, digital blocks, bright neon, and graphic overload. I wanted this piece to feel like a time capsule built with that spirit,’ Nigel says.
The Air Table was conceived and built through VMU STUDIO, Nigel VMU’s creative practice known for fusing sculpture, product design, and cultural storytelling. Falling under the studio’s Places & Space division, the piece aligns with the artist’s vision to design interventions that transform ordinary environments into playful, thought-provoking experiences. ‘Places & Space is about designing for a place — creating sculptural moments that activate space and leave a lasting emotional impact,’ says Nigel. ‘The Air Table isn’t just furniture. It’s memory, energy, and nostalgia rendered in physical form.’
Nigel VMU reimagines 90s digital culture
bringing art and commerce
The AirMax Table underscores Nigel VMU’s ability to bridge art and commerce, using bold visual language to reinterpret brand heritage through the lens of contemporary design. Installed within Offspring’s retail space, the piece transforms the store into a site of storytelling — where nostalgia and culture are embedded not only in the product but in the environment itself. It’s a reminder that design can activate physical space, shaping the way people engage with brands on an emotional level. At the same time, the table taps into the growing space where collectibility and community overlap — taking design objects out of the gallery and placing them directly into everyday, culturally charged settings.
As a result, Nigel VMU isn’t just a collaborator in this project — he’s a spatial storyteller, expanding the role of the artist into new contexts that blur the boundaries between sculpture, retail, function, and memory. The Air Table is currently on view at Offspring’s Kings Cross Community Store at Pancras Square, London — inviting sneakerheads, design lovers, and digital nostalgists alike to experience the Air Sunder like never before.
transforming Nike’s Air Sunder into a brutalist sculptural table
blending sneaker culture, 90s digital nostalgia, and concrete craftsmanship into a functional artwork
inspired by the 90s’ transition from analogue to digital, from bitmap to 3D render
the tabletop is cast in industrial concrete, grounding the work in a material language of brutalist nostalgia
a set of life-sized Nike Air Max Sunder sneaker legs form the base structure of the table
flanked by chunky, block-lettered ‘AIRMAX’ typography legs
on view at Offspring’s Kings Cross Community Store at Pancras Square, London
the typography is a reference to pixelated typefaces and low-resolution display aesthetics
Nike and Offspring tap Nigel VMU for the brutalist installation
project info:
name: The AirMax Table
designer: Nigel VMU | VMU Studio
producer: Something Made Lab
photographer: Aaron Watson-McNab
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