“There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature,” is a famous quote attributed to the architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). The same idea – of human-built constructions in contrast to organic forms – underpins The Shape of Cosmos, the new series from Ukrainian-German diver and photographer Alexej Sachov (b. 1972). “Geometric shapes are rare underwater,” the artist says. “This series, with its straight, plastic figures in artificial colours, captured in weightlessness during scuba dives, illustrates how human creations are foreign to the natural world.” Here, we see fluorescent shapes – triangles, circles and rectangles – floating in a dark sea of stars, pulling together and drifting apart in many different configurations. Across his various bodies of work, all produced beneath the waves, Sachov envisions a world where synthetic objects and pollutants replace living ecosystems. This is an invitation to reflect on how we treat the planet – and the kind of future our actions are shaping. sachov-art.com

All images: Alexej Sachov, From the series: The Shape of Cosmos (2025). Image courtesy of the artist.