• Boundary-pushing design and research studio to present multi-sensory installation at ICA Miami, showcasing the expansive possibilities of sustainable material innovation and software-enabled reactive design 
• Lexus announces limited-edition vessel collection with collectible objects from Germane Barnes, Suchi Reddy, Tara Sakhi, Michael Bennett (Studio Kër) and Crafting Plastics, dilo to launch a custom fragrance inspired by Lexus 

Today, Lexus announces its collaboration with award-winning design and research studio Crafting Plastics to present an interactive, multi-sensory installation during Miami Art & Design Week 2024. In partnership with the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), the installation will be on view in the Museum’s sculpture garden this December. To accompany the installation, Lexus will debut a new product extension developed in collaboration with clean fragrance brand dilo, for which four additional designers–Germane Barnes, Michael Bennett (Studio Kër), Suchi Reddy and Tara Sakhi, –will join Crafting Plastics to create a capsule collection of 26 limited-edition collectible design objects.

Titled Liminal Cycles, the installation’s central sculpture is directly inspired by the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Lexus LF-ZC concept car and is made from environmentally responsive bioplastic materials, welcoming viewers to explore Crafting Plastics’ and Lexus’ innovations in personalization and responsiveness within responsible design. The installation will be on view from December 4 throughout Miami Art & Design Week.

Liminal Cycles will explore the developing concept of SDVs (Software Defined Vehicles), meaning a vehicle with software-enabled personalization and adaptability. Taking its dedication to personal and responsible luxury to the next level, Lexus invites viewers on a multi-sensory exploration of the dynamic innovations in sustainable materials and reactive software, signalling toward a future of customizable in-vehicle experiences.

Through its collaboration with Crafting Plastics, Lexus will present four interactive and sensory-responsive sculptural pieces, including a central sculpture designed to reference the Lexus LF-ZC at scale. To embody Lexus’ ethos of connectivity, craftsmanship, sensory design, and commitment to advancing sustainability research, Liminal Cycles depicts the Lexus LF-ZC as a living, breathing organism in harmony with its surroundings. The four-part installation will engage viewers through sight, smell, sound and touch with reactive changes to the sculptures’ color, amplified sound, and an aromatic mist featuring the new Lexus in Design fragrance developed in partnership with dilo.

The central sculpture employs UV-responsive material skin to change its colour based on fluctuations in ultraviolet radiation levels in real time. Alongside the central piece, two satellite installations transform interior design elements of the Lexus LF-ZC into interactive sensory experiences. The concept car’s steering wheel and headrest forms are each reimagined as complimentary sculptures, enlisting environmentally responsive technology to prompt visual, tactile, auditory and olfactory responses triggered by the viewer’s proximity. Finally, a bioplastic lattice design and UV-responsive material skin are incorporated into a wind-activated third satellite sculpture, revealing the Lexus logo in a striking and unique optical experience emphasizing the ephemeral quality of materials derived from natural environments.

“We are thrilled to return to ICA Miami with another large-scale project, this time with revelatory design studio Crafting Plastics,” says Heather Updegraff, ​​General Manager of Lexus International Strategic Communications. “Vlasta and Miroslav are pushing the boundaries of technological and material capabilities and we are honoured to collaborate with them in creating an immersive work that represents some of the most exciting concepts being developed at Lexus today.”

Founded by Vlasta Kubušová and Miroslav Král, Crafting Plastics has quickly become a global advocate for the adoption of bioplastics within design and fashion industries. With their pioneering use of plant-based biopolymer materials to create design objects, installations, functional fashion items and accessories, Crafting Plastics continues to demonstrate the accessibility, durability, and functionality of biobased materials for varying use cases. The studio is credited with its ground-breaking development of the material brand, Nuatan®, a plastic-like, bio-based material series that is biodegradable and based on 100% renewable resources, leaving no microplastics behind.

Guided by the intention to design products with a built-in lifespan, embracing both utility and an eventual reintegration into the natural world, Crafting Plastics’ practice ranges from small-scale products such as eyewear to large-scale installations and collaborations with renowned brands like Dior, Cash App, Nike, and more. Crafting Plastics has long been committed to expanding the possibilities of sustainable materials, making the duo a natural collaborator to join Lexus in its exploration of circular materials, technology, and personalization.

“We’re honoured to collaborate with Lexus, whose commitment to sustainability and innovation, aligns closely with our own mission,” comments Vlasta Kubušová, co-founder of Crafting Plastics. “Through this collaboration, we have fully integrated sustainable material innovation into a luxury context to showcase the potential of bio-based materials that are durable, scalable and responsive. We hope this sensory installation allows viewers to explore these possibilities in a tangible and memorable experience."

2024 marks Lexus’ third year partnering with ICA Miami to present Lexus in Design during Miami Art & Design Week.

“Sustainability is a critical focus for ICA Miami in our practices across the museum, so it is wonderful to partner once again with Lexus to raise awareness about sustainable design,” said Alex Gartenfeld, Irma and Norman Braman Artistic Director of ICA Miami. “Vlasta and Miroslav have a truly innovative and exciting approach to using sustainable materials, and we are thrilled to provide this platform for their work.”

Accompanying the Liminal Cycles installation is a new Lexus in Design capsule collection of collectible design objects developed in collaboration with leading design talents as well as clean fragrance brand, dilo. Alongside Crafting Plastics, renowned designers Germane Barnes, Michael Bennett (Studio Kër), Suchi Reddy and Tara Sakhi will each create editions of distinct design objects. Each edition of five will embody the core aspects of Lexus’ brand ethos–personalization, sustainability, materiality, technology, and performance. Dilo will create a custom scent inspired by the collection, which will be integrated into the Liminal Cycles installation and design objects and will also be featured as a limited edition candle.

The limited-edition collection will be on view and available for purchase at ICA Miami, coinciding with the unveiling of Liminal Cycles. Design objects from the capsule collection and the limited edition Lexus in Design candle will be available for purchase at HBX.com with sales profits going toward support of ICA Miami’s sustainability initiatives.

Returning this year will be the Lexus Art Series: Art and Innovation talks with Whitewall, a program of engaging discussions between Lexus collaborators, ambassadors, and industry leaders across the art and design worlds. Details on the Lexus Art Series are to be announced.

ABOUT INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, MIAMI

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) is dedicated to promoting continuous experimentation in contemporary art, advancing new scholarship, and fostering the exchange of art and ideas throughout the Miami region and internationally. Through an energetic calendar of exhibitions and programs, and its collection, ICA Miami provides an important international platform for the work of local, emerging, and under-recognized artists, and advances the public appreciation and understanding of the most innovative art of our time. Launched in 2014, ICA Miami opened its new permanent home in Miami’s Design District in December 2017. The museum’s central location positions it as a cultural anchor within the community and enhances its role in developing cultural literacy throughout the Miami region. The museum offers free admission, providing audiences with open, public access to artistic excellence year-round.

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is located at 61 NE 41st Street, Miami, Florida 33137. For more information, visit icamiami.org or follow the museum on Instagram and explore the ICA Channel for inside looks at ICA Miami exhibitions and the practices of the most exciting artists working today.

ABOUT LEXUS

Lexus launched in 1989 with a flagship sedan and a guest experience that helped define the premium automotive industry. In 1998, Lexus introduced the luxury crossover category with the launch of the Lexus RX. The luxury hybrid sales leader, Lexus delivered the world’s first luxury hybrid and has since sold over 2.33 million electrified vehicles including HEVs, PHEVs, and BEVs.

A global luxury automotive brand with an unwavering commitment to bold, uncompromising design, exceptional craftsmanship, and exhilarating performance, Lexus has developed its line-up to meet the needs of the next generation of global luxury guests and is currently available in over 90 countries/regions worldwide.

Lexus associates/team members across the world are dedicated to crafting amazing experiences that are uniquely Lexus, and that excite and change the world.

ABOUT CRAFTING PLASTICS

Crafting Plastics is an award-winning interdisciplinary design and research studio founded by Vlasta Kubušová and Miroslav Král in 2016. The studio’s practice focuses on the research, development and implementation of a new generation of advanced ecological bio-based materials, both currently and in the future. Operating at the intersection of science and design, Crafting Plastics revolutionizes the properties and aesthetics of ephemeral materials, such as naturally-derived bioplastics, to offer durable design solutions across diverse industries. At the forefront of its practice, Crafting Plastics works to develop natural and scalable bioplastics to elevate the application and uses of the material within design and architecture. Nuatan®, the material brand developed by Crafting Plastics, is an ecological alternative to fossil-fuel-based plastic, created using 100% biobased and biodegradable biopolymer blends. Additionally, the studio is conducting innovative research on advanced environmentally responsive materials that act as sensing systems and enhance the relationship between humans and nature.

Crafting Plastics has worked with renowned brands such as Dior, Nike and Lexus, and presented projects at distinguished institutions worldwide, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, ALCOVA, MAK Vienna and Salon de Mobile. The studio has earned international acclaim, receiving nominations for the Slovak National Design Award, German Design Award (2018, 2021) and Beazley Designs of the Year at the London Design Museum. In 2022 Crafting Plastics was recognized by Dezeen as one of the world’s top emerging studios and in 2018 co-founder Vlasta Kubušová was featured in Forbes Slovakia’s 30 Under 30 List, underscoring Crafting Plastic’s pioneering role in circular design and sustainable material innovation.

ABOUT DILO

Founded in 2017 in Philadelphia, dilo launched as a product designer and manufacturer of comfort goods - candles, room sprays, reed diffusers - all that tell a story beyond their typical use. In the years to follow dilo filled out collections with Eau de Parfum, Apparel, Incense, and other home and personal care products, all designed and created carefully to ensure that they are of the cleanest in the industry. Largely picked up by independent retailers, dilo can be found in all 50 States and in several countries within Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Lexus unveiled “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds”, an installation by Dutch solar designer Marjan van Aubel, which is now on view within the sculpture garden at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami). Brimming with life and colour, the striking solar sculpture reimagines the Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst (LF-ZC) concept car as an interactive experience through van Aubel’s trademark use of solar cells. “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” marks van Aubel’s first public project in Miami and has been realized through design development by spatial and experience design firm Random Studio. 

Named in reference to the time it takes sunlight to reach the earth, “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” uses Organic Photovoltaics (OPV), third-generation solar cells that are both transparent and rich with colour, to translate the LF-ZC into a graphic pattern design, in a true-to-size representation of the concept car. 

“8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” awakens to the presence of viewers as they move around it and explore different perspectives. Four individual motion sensors spark light to bounce and ripple like water across the installation’s base, which represents the car’s EV platform. At unexpected intervals, the installation springs to life in an ephemeral spectacle—light cascades across it as a melody crescendo, mirroring the dynamics of the car in motion and offering a sensory glimpse into the energy of driving. As the day progresses, the warm, sunrise hues reflecting throughout the OPV sheets give way to cooler tones. 

Throughout the day, the sculpture harnesses solar power, drawing energy from the OPV sheets. These solar cells accumulate energy into batteries discreetly nestled within the sculpture's base. Slowly but surely, this continual absorption culminates, storing a reservoir of solar-derived power to help sustain the sculpture's captivating displays and features. 

The installation emanates an ambient melody, weaving together warm string instruments, soft piano and chimes that harmonize with the surrounding environment. Intermittently, the melody is embellished with birdsong and other sound effects. At times, the composition introduces woody bamboo notes, a subtle nod to the original car's interior bamboo material, integrating its essence into the auditory experience. 

On view through December 17th, “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” marks Lexus’ second year partnering with ICA Miami and the brand’s sixth immersive experience during Miami Art & Design Week. Through collaboration and presenting world-class installations, Lexus and ICA Miami are committed to building experiences that inspire visitors to ponder the immense potential of creative design. 

Globally recognized as an advocate for sustainability in art and design, van Aubel is a natural partner to Lexus’s forward-thinking design ethos. Championed for her furniture and lighting design as well as public installations, her work bridges solar technology with aesthetic design solutions. Her work is held in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the MoMA, Vitra Design Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

“It’s been a joy to bring the LF-ZC concept car to life! Lexus’s ethos towards innovation, craftsmanship, and new material use resonates with my design practice. This installation invites people to interact with light and colour and engages them to imagine a more sustainable, positive future. Through this partnership, I could tell a new narrative of generating energy beautifully,” said Marjan van Aubel 

“We are honoured to work with a solar design pioneer as esteemed as Marjan van Aubel. Her singular vision and expertise have built a remarkable installation that illuminates the design essence of the LF-ZC concept and her dedication to human-first, sustainable design is something we share and value dearly. It’s thrilling to see this sculpture come alive in the garden at ICA Miami," said Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. 

“Environmental sustainability is a priority for ICA Miami as we have made a year-round commitment to minimizing and offsetting our carbon footprint. Marjan van Aubel’s powerful work with Lexus represents significant advances in innovative sustainable design and represents how global ecological concern drives contemporary solutions. We are delighted to provide an important platform for Marjan van Aubel and their powerful work during Miami Art Week,” said Alex Gartenfeld, Irma and Norman Braman Artistic Director at ICA Miami. 

ABOUT MARJAN VAN AUBEL 
Marjan van Aubel Studio is an award-winning innovative solar design practice that brings solar energy into daily life. Designing for a positive future through combining the fields of sustainability, design and technology, the studio is creating lasting change through solar design, integrating solar power seamlessly into our environments such as in buildings and objects. With the goal to make solar power more accessible for everyone. Most notable works are Sunne, Current Table, Power Plant and the roof of the Netherlands Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. 

Marjan has collaborated with global brands such as Cos, Timberland, Swarovski with the aim of accelerating the global energy transition to solar. She graduated from the Royal College of Art (Design Products MA) in 2012 and the Rietveld Academy DesignLAB (BA) in 2009. 

ABOUT INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART MIAMI 
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) is dedicated to promoting continuous experimentation in contemporary art, advancing new scholarship, and fostering the exchange of art and ideas throughout the Miami region and internationally. Through an energetic calendar of exhibitions and programs, and its collection, ICA Miami provides an important international platform for the work of local, emerging, and under-recognized artists, and advances the public appreciation and understanding of the most innovative art of our time. Launched in 2014, ICA Miami opened its new permanent home in Miami’s Design District on December 1, 2017. The museum’s central location positions it as a cultural anchor within the community and enhances its role in developing cultural literacy throughout the Miami region. The museum offers free admission, providing audiences with open, public access to artistic excellence year round. 

ABOUT RANDOM STUDIO 
Random is a spatial experience design studio and B-corporation based in Amsterdam and Paris. The studio focuses on creating spaces that change and evolve based on their interaction with people, architecture, nature and technology. 

Today, Lexus unveiled Shaped by Air at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), presenting a vision by acclaimed New York-based artist and architect Suchi Reddy, founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design, that draws inspiration from the Lexus Electrified Sport’s quality of being “shaped by air.” Reddy’s ethereal installation celebrates the collaborators’ shared commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral, and impeccably crafted design. On view through December 11th, it envisions the vehicle as shaped by mist and light, draws upon the curves of the vehicle’s design, and incorporates foliage-inspired cutouts to suggest movement through nature.

Situated in the Sculpture Garden at ICA Miami, the site-specific installation features a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport enveloped by cooling mist and warm light. To create the immersive and dynamic design, Reddy placed the vehicle on a platform among organic, leaflike shapes in a vibrant shade of green, subtly calling to mind the cutouts of Henri Matisse. These abstract, reflective forms sit in dialogue with neighbouring sculptures by Pedro Reyes and artist duo Allora & Calzadilla, and they also exist in harmony with the garden’s own greenery. Comprised in part of post-consumer materials, the sculpture’s steel and aluminium form includes mirrored side panels. As the mist clings to its metal body and conveys a sense of movement, the piece appears as if it is levitating. Its ever-changing nature is further illuminated in the daytime, as shadows cast unexpected patterns on the surrounding surfaces.

Reflecting Lexus’ commitment to omotenashi––a concept encompassing both hospitality and mindfulness––the Shaped by Air installation invites garden visitors to rest on benches made of eco-terrazzo. Their shape takes inspiration from the tail of the Electrified Sport vehicle, and they include wireless charging stations as well activated by a solar-charged battery. Reddy, whose design ethos has been described as a “form follows feeling” approach, has carefully calibrated the environment to be a welcoming, contemplative, and constantly evolving one.

“Lexus’ steadfast commitment to the arts and to excellence in craftsmanship has been an inspiring departure point for the installation. Shaped by Air animates the courtyard using mist, light, and metallic forms to create an ethereal installation that both reflects and is transformed by the natural elements of the sculpture garden, blurring the boundaries between art and design,” remarked Suchi Reddy. 

Since 2005, Lexus has been at the forefront of pioneering electrification in the luxury market. With the introduction of their next-generation Electrified Sport concept, Lexus continues to push the boundaries of technology and craft with an unwavering commitment to sustainability and a consideration for the evolving needs of transportation and lifestyles worldwide. Suchi’s public installation––the brand’s fifth immersive experience during Miami Art & Design Week––highlights the full potential of electrification and underscores Lexus’ vision for a future that is human-centred, carbon-neutral, and focused on craftsmanship and quality.

“We are thrilled to partner with the inimitable Suchi Reddy and see the Electrified Sport come to life through the lens of her human-centred approach to design,” said Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. “The Lexus Electrified Sport represents a visceral expression of a Lexus Electrified future. Suchi has brought that vision to life, using mist and light to give it movement, underscoring the exciting future of Lexus design and performance dynamics.”

“ICA Miami is committed to reducing our climate footprint by adapting best practices for sustainability. This includes implementing carbon offsets for major exhibitions and partnering with organizations that are working towards carbon neutrality. We are delighted to align with organizations equally committed to a carbon neutral future, Lexus and Reddymade, in providing a platform for innovative work by Suchi Reddy,” added Alex Gartenfeld, ICA Miami’s Artistic Director.

For more information about Suchi Reddy and Reddymade Architecture, please visit: https://rmdny.com/

For more information about the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, please visit: https://icamiami.org/

The title of the installation alludes to an on/off switch as a vision of a carbon-neutral future powered by electric technology. ON/ creates an environment that is designed to engage viewers of all ages, providing an experience that is both visually dynamic and interactive while offering an inviting space to recharge and reflect.

The installation is centered around a three-dimensional sculptural rendition of the LF-Z Electrified Concept car rendered in steel and illuminated with embedded LED lighting. The frame of the car glows and is suspended just above the ground, a vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus. Two swings anchor the display, each suspended within illuminated arches in a nod to the classical architecture that is both foundational to the design of civic infrastructure and central to the University of Miami’s curriculum, alluding to a gateway between our present and the possibilities of the future.

This arch is echoed in furniture with embedded LED lighting designed by Barnes and his team specifically for the installation, providing discrete areas for rest, repose, and recharging -- reflecting the brand’s commitment to the principle of omotenashi (exceptional hospitality).

The entire installation is unified by a unique lighting scheme, designed to enable engagement from users around the world via an interactive virtual model unveiled online alongside the physical display. Participants are invited to create their own lighting designs for the display, altering the colour of various features including the walls, car, swings, and furniture. Barnes and his team will select a series of the user-generated designs to showcase onsite, spotlighting the creative vision of entries from around the world.

The online virtual model can be accessed at the following site: https://lexuscolorcreation.com/

“As a global brand with commitment to the Japanese design principles of takumi (expert craftsmanship) and omotenashi (exceptional hospitality) and a mission to build towards a carbon-neutral future, Lexus embodies elements that are essential markers of high-quality design for today, while also echoing my personal values. Designing for a future that is collaborative, sustainable, equitable, and prioritizes the unique experiences of individuals is both a driving force of my practice and my work with students here at the University of Miami. As Design Miami/ opens, we’re excited to see how the public engages with the installation, both in-person and online, and makes our vision for the future their own,” commented Germane Barnes, Assistant Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture.

“We’re thrilled to bring this incredible project from Germane Barnes and the University of Miami to Design Miami/ in our fourth year of partnership with the fair,” commented Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. “As we look towards next generation design, this project has given us a chance to highlight Lexus’ commitment to electrification while working closely with the students at UMiami who are incredibly talented and truly represent the future of design and innovation.”