Lexus has unveiled a collection of new installations at Milan Design Week 2025, the world’s largest showcase event for international design. Its exhibition at Superstudio Piu’s Daylight Space will feature “A-Un”, an immersive installation created in collaboration with Japanese creatives SIX and STUDEO, and “Discover Together”, an interactive collection produced by next generation designers in a legacy project from the Lexus Design Award.

The exhibition is open to the public at Superstudio Più in Tortona, Milan’s creative district, from April 8 to 13.

Simon Humphries, Lexus Chief Branding Officer, said: “Since the founding of our brand, Lexus has constantly challenged the conventions of the luxury automotive world, pushing the boundaries of mobility to create unique and extraordinary experiences that surpass expectations rather than simply meeting them. Today, as technology advances and transforms the way we perceive time spent in motion, we find ourselves reflecting on how these shifts can lead to profound new forms of engagement and interaction.

“At Milan Design Week, we seek to express this convergence of technology and humanity, exploring moments in which they intersect and how reimagining time itself can be a catalyst for new experiences. Additionally, through ‘Discover Together’, we have collaborated with three visionary creative units who explore the interplay between individuals with society through the lens of the Black Butterfly, offering new perspectives.”

The new immersive installations have taken inspiration from the “Black Butterfly”, the name given to a dual-interface control device featured in the cockpit of Lexus’ LF-ZC concept car. Each explores how future technologies will bring man, machine and mobility closer together.

The exhibition’s official opening today (April 7) will be hosted by Pascal Ruch, Toyota Motor Europe Vice President Lexus and Value Chain. He will introduce speakers including Lexus International President Takashi Watanabe and Lexus Design Division General Manager Koichi Suga. Together with Takeshi Nozoe of SIX., Tatsuki Ikezawa of STUDEO and representatives from Bascule Inc., Northeastern University and Lexus’ in-house designers, they will provide insights into the groundbreaking installations and the future of mobility and design.

A-Un installation

Across the two decades since its first appearance at Milan Design Week in 2005, Lexus has collaborated with world-renowned artists and designers – including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto and Rhizomatiks – to create immersive experiences that embody the brand’s vision and values.

This year it has teamed up with the Tokyo-based creative agency SIX and design studio STUDEO to present “A-Un”, an installation inspired by the Japanese concept of A-Un no Kokyū (harmonised breath), a traditional concept where two bodies or entities instinctively synchronise their movements and emotions. Using the Black Butterfly motif as a window connecting people and society, Lexus brings its vision for the future of mobility to life in an immersive space.

A vast Black Butterfly-shaped screen suddenly emerges within the space, standing three metres high and measuring 10 metres wide and four metres deep. A testament to Lexus’ commitment to honouring traditional materials and craftsmanship, the work was meticulously crafted by hand over three months, using woven threads made from about 35 kilometres of bamboo fibre.

The structure comes to life as visitors approach, responding to their heartbeats to create a unique, immersive experience. As the heartbeat synchronises with fluctuations sampled from nature, the Black Butterfly becomes a medium for discovery. In that moment, visitors witness the seamless connection between people, society and the world – an experience shaped by the “A-Un” philosophy.

Lexus’ vision of future mobility goes beyond a car simply responding to human commands to its anticipation of human intentions. Through the Black Butterfly, people and vehicles engage in a journey of constant learning and evolution together, discovering new possibilities and one-of-a-kind moments. Vehicles will connect directly with people, creating a new experience of movement.

Discover Together installation

This year’s exhibition builds on the legacy of the Lexus Design Award which has discovered, nurtured and long supported next generation creators, challenging the boundaries of creative potential. Three visionary groups have used the Black Butterfly as a motif to explore new dimensions of personalised experiences with technology. Bascule Inc., Northeastern University and Lexus’ in-house designers present a series of interactive installations that reinterpret the Black Butterfly through distinct and unique perspectives. This encounter between Lexus and emerging talents gives rise to “Experience Amazing” which visitors are invited to discover first-hand in the exhibition.

Earthspective

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

This work explores the concept of an expanded earth perspective. The combination of “earth” and “perspective” in its title represents a shift in the way we view our world. As humans, we perceive reality from our own, limited vantage points. However, when we step back and observe the Earth from the vastness of space, we gain a new perspective – an Earthspective. From this view, we are mere travellers on the planet. The words you speak become imprints on the future, etched into the ever-expanding universe.

Our Energy Nexus

Northeastern University (USA)

This installation explores the theme of reducing air pollution, using real-time interaction to visualise the power of community and collective action.

Visitors engage with real-time pollution levels and Milan’s global air quality index data, channelling their warmth through the Black Butterfly as symbolic release of energy. Each contribution is transformed into a glowing star; as the air clears, these stars shine brighter, reinforcing the connection between personal action and environmental change. Together our energy converges to shape a cleaner, brighter future.

Discover your Butterfly – Lexus in-house designers (Japan)

The butterfly is a symbol of your unknown potential to make an impact on the world

Inspired by the Butterfly Effect, this installation captures the transformative power of small actions.

It envisions a world where countless butterflies converge, each one unique in its motion, coming together to create a dynamic and evolving reality. With the Black Butterfly as a window for unleashing your unknown potential, visitors release their own butterfly, influencing the world around them while discovering new aspects of themselves. Each small flutter contributes to a ripple of beauty and change, proving that even the smallest actions can shape the future in powerful ways.

The Lexus Design Award – Discover Together

Since 2013, Lexus has hosted the Lexus Design Award, an international competition dedicated to fostering and supporting next generation creators through dialogue and co-creation. To deepen this collaboration and further its commitment to emerging design talent, the programme is being updated as the “Lexus Design Award – Discover Together”. It will be officially relaunched this summer with a showcase event scheduled to take place at Milan Design Week in April 2026. Look out for further details of this exciting new chapter in design.

Exhibition information

“A-Un” creator profiles

Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.)

Takeshi Nozoe founded the creative company SIX Inc. in 2013. As creative director, Nozoe takes on the challenge of creating new forms of communication and real-world experiences with brands both in Japan and overseas, including Toyota GR and Lexus. He has worked on a number of projects that have expanded the boundaries of expression through the fusion of technology, including spatial expression using 1,000 drones; the music video “Obsession for Smoothness”, created in collaboration with OK Go; and the Space Balloon Project, a real-time interaction with the stratosphere. To date, he has received more than 100 international creative awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold Award and a New York Festival Gold Award. SIX’s original product, the COTODAMA Lyric speaker, is sold in 44 countries worldwide, demonstrating high recognition for its innovation in product development.

https://sixinc.jp/

Tatsuki Ikezawa (STUDEO)

A graduate of the Department of Design Informatics at Musashino Art University, Ikezawa founded the creative studio, STUDEO in 2020. Approaching brand strategy from the perspective of art direction, he seamlessly integrates concept development, product design including packaging and logo design, and the planning of communication tools such as commercials, graphics, and spatial design to create a cohesive brand world. In 2018, Ikezawa held a solo exhibition BEYOND THE CRAFT in New York and, in 2024, participated as a designer in The Trio Asia Posters at the Mexico International Poster Biennial.

His works have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, ONE SHOW, and New York ADC. He is a member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and the Japan Graphic Designers Association.

https://www.studeo.co.jp/

“Discover Together” creator profiles

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Masayoshi Boku, Sakiko Osawa

Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centred on their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values in which everyone can participate.

https://bascule.co.jp/

Northeastern University (USA)

Members pictured (from left) Chloe Prock, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Jasmine Yiming Sun, Elizabeth McCaffrey

Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University’s Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualisation, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualisation, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centred design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

https://camd.northeastern.edu/center-for-design/

Lexus Design Team (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura

Members of the Design Team at Toyota Motor Corporation have challenged new expressions and experiences by reinterpreting the Black Butterfly. As a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept and Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota brands. Designer Yuri Tamura began her career as a CMF designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.

The Black Butterfly, a dual-interface cockpit control system developed by Lexus for its LF-ZC concept car, has provided inspiration for international creators to develop immersive new installations at the cutting edge of art and design.

These exciting interpretations of how future technologies will bring man, machine and mobility closer together will be showcased by Lexus at Milan Design Week 2025, one of the world’s premiere events for global creatives. The exhibits will be on public view at the Superstudio Più, from April 8 to 13.

 “A-Un” is an interactive installation that connects intuitively with the viewer, combining the principles of the Black Butterfly with the traditional Japanese concept of Aun no kokyo – breathing in harmony. It has been developed by Lexus in collaboration with the Tokyo-based creative agency SIX and the STUDEO design studio. It presents a new dimension in seamless communication between humans and mobility and captures a spirit of mutual understanding through perfectly synchronised interactions.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presence also includes “Discover Together”, produced by up-and-coming creative talents from Bascule Inc. in Japan, Northeastern University in the USA and the Lexus Designer Team, from Japan. For more than a decade, Lexus has supported innovative creators striving to help shape a better future world and society through the Lexus Design Award. Building on this legacy, Lexus has launched the “Discover Together” initiative. This project emphasises co-creation and reinterprets and expresses the new possibilities presented by the Black Butterfly cockpit control interfaces.  Through their original works, the creators demonstrate the different chemistry and experience that can occur when humans interact with the Black Butterfly.

Lexus has been an active participant in Milan Design Week over many years, using the opportunity to demonstrate its challenge to the status quo in the luxury automotive space, pushing boundaries in both products and services to create amazing experiences for its customers.

Exhibition information

“A-Un” creator profiles

Takeshi Nozoe (SIX Inc.)

Takeshi Nozoe founded the creative company SIX Inc. in 2013. As creative director, Nozoe takes on the challenge of creating new forms of communication and real-world experiences with brands both in Japan and overseas, including Toyota GR and Lexus. He has worked on a number of projects that have expanded the boundaries of expression through the fusion of technology, including spatial expression using 1,000 drones; the music video “Obsession for Smoothness”, created in collaboration with OK Go; and the Space Balloon Project, a real-time interaction with the stratosphere. To date, he has received more than 100 international creative awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold Award and a New York Festival Gold Awards. SIX’s original product, the COTODAMA Lyric speaker, is sold in 44 countries worldwide, demonstrating high recognition for its innovation in product development.

https://sixinc.jp/

Tatsuki Ikezawa (STUDEO)

A graduate of the Department of Design Informatics at Musashino Art University, Ikezawa founded the creative studio, STUDEO in 2020. Approaching brand strategy from the perspective of art direction, he seamlessly integrates concept development, product design including packaging and logo design, and the planning of communication tools such as commercials, graphics, and spatial design to create a cohesive brand world. In 2018, Ikezawa held a solo exhibition BEYOND THE CRAFT in New York and, in 2024, participated as a designer in The Trio Asia Posters at the Mexico International Poster Biennial.

His works have been recognised with numerous awards, including the Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, ONE SHOW, and New York ADC. He is a member of the Tokyo Art Directors Club and the Japan Graphic Designers Association.

https://www.studeo.co.jp/

“Discover Together” creator profiles

Bascule Inc. (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Tomoyuki Iwabuchi, Masayoshi Boku, Sakiko Osawa

Bascule Inc. is a creative team based in Tokyo, known for extracting reality and stories hidden in various data to create emotional experiences. Centred on their unique approach called DATA-TAINMENT, they engage in a wide array of fields including advertising, events, sports, art, urban development, and outer space, aiming to create new experiential values in which everyone can participate.

https://bascule.co.jp/

Northeastern University (USA)

Members pictured (from left) Chloe Prock, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Jasmine Yiming Sun, Elizabeth McCaffrey

Under the direction of Paolo Ciuccarelli, head of Northeastern University’s Center for Design, Chloe Prock, Jasmine Yiming Sun, and Elizabeth McCaffrey form a team of designers and researchers exploring the wide intersections of data visualisation, experience design, and creative practice. With expertise spanning immersive media, computational data visualisation, UI/UX design, and design research, their work bridges the gaps between emerging technologies, human-centred design, and poetic computation to create engaging and thought-provoking experiences.

https://camd.northeastern.edu/center-for-design/

Lexus Designer Team (Japan)

Members pictured (from left) Moto Takabatake and Yuri Tamura

Members of the Design Team at Toyota Motor Corporation have challenged new expressions and experiences by reinterpreting the Black Butterfly. As a mentor, Takabatake works as a Concept and Vision Designer, planning future visions and concepts targeting all products, including experiences for both Lexus and Toyota brands. Designer Yuri Tamura began her career as a CMF designer and now explores innovative designs that challenge existing concepts across all genres. She focuses on capturing human emotions and experiences from new perspectives, aiming to deliver inspiration to many.

Lexus has today unveiled its new exhibition ‘Time’ at Milan Design Week, the world’s largest international design event. The show, featuring original installations by international artists, is on public view until April 21 in the Art Point and Art Garden at Superstudio Più in Tortona, Milan’s world-respected creative district.

‘Time’ captures Lexus’ vision of how the application of software and energy innovations will help the cars of the future deliver new possibilities for customers and enable luxury to co-exist with carbon neutrality.

The exhibition features work by two designers inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC, a concept model that explores the possibilities for a next generation battery electric vehicle (BEV). ‘Beyond the Horizon’ by Hideki Yoshimoto and his Tangent studio captures a world of future mobility that evolves through software innovation. Produced in collaboration with musician and composer Keiichiro Shibuya, the piece immerses the visitor in light and sound. ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ is a new work by Marjan van Aubel which incorporates solar design and technology in pursuit of a carbon-neutral future.

Simon Humphries, Lexus Chief Branding Officer, said: “Lexus has always challenged the conventions of automotive luxury, working to expand the horizons of its products and services to create experiences that surpass its customers’ expectations. ’Time’ comes from our belief that experience and time are inseparable concepts. Time is not something that simply passes; it’s the starting point of all special experiences. Lexus has a firmly human-centred philosophy, and we believe that providing people with unique experiences in an age when technology will allow cars to anticipate and evolve with the customer begins with exploring the relationship between people and time itself.”

Installation ‘Beyond the Horizon’

‘Beyond the Horizon’ is an interactive installation inspired by a future where the personal experiential value of mobility can be tailored to the individual, by constantly updating a vehicle’s software so that it transcends its traditional role as a means of transportation through a digital dialogue with the user.

The immersive installation features a line of two-metre-high sculptures. Although these seem uniform in appearance, each one emits unique lighting effects to create different atmospheres. The LF-ZC is positioned at the centre of the work, symbolising innovation and future mobility.

Designer Hideki Yoshimoto blends state-of-the-art technology with time-honoured Japanese craftsmanship in a giant (four metres high by 30 metres wide) projection screen showing ever-changing vistas of the horizon. Its material draws on the 1,500-year heritage of Echizen ‘washi’ paper, familiar from the screens found in traditional Japanese homes. Here, it is made using bamboo fibres, referencing how this sustainable material is featured in the LF-ZC’s interior and also Lexus’ famous respect for and application of master craftsmanship skills.

Keiichiro Shibuya has composed an original sound installation, ‘Abstract Music’, to complement the exhibition concept. Sound images are generated in real time through programming a vast amount of sound data, moved around 31 speakers installed throughout the venue. No two moments are the same, as the sounds endlessly evolve. The changing of the horizon from dawn to dusk, with the LF-ZC as the guide to the future, combines with the sculptures and music to create a personalised and immersive experience.

Installation ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’

This work expresses Lexus’ commitment to advancing innovation in mobility by celebrating the potential of energy and software  together with the aim for carbon neutrality and luxury to co-exist. The installation features a to-scale representation of the LF-ZC concept and uses solar power captured by organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells and stored in built-in batteries. The aim is to reflect our potential synergy with the natural environment, making the visitor an active participant in this vision of the future.

Named for the time it takes light to reach the earth from the sun, ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ imagines the car positioned among holographic trees and a reflective seating area, set against the backdrop of an interactive sun. Created with a circle of 16 of van Aubel’s Sunne solar lamps, this sun changes colour when visitors touch a sensor made from a new bamboo fabric developed by Lexus. The sensor sends a signal that triggers a personal sunrise for each person.

The installation also features natural sounds such as the rustling of bamboo – another reference to the material used in the interior of the LF-ZC, the inspiration for this work.

Exhibition information

Dates and times:

-       Press Day April 15, 3pm to 8pm

-       Public Days April 16 to 20, 11am to 9pm; April 21, 11am to 6pm

Venue: Art Point and Art Garden, Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, 20144 - Milan, Italy 

Exhibits:

-       Installation ’Beyond the Horizon’ by Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent (Art Point)

-       Installation ‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ by Marjan van Aubel (Art Garden)

‘BEYOND THE HORIZON’ designer profile – Hideki Yoshimoto /Tangent

Hideki Yoshimoto is a designer, creative director and Project Associate Professor at the Research Center for Advanced Scient and Technology at the University of Tokyo. Born in Wakayama Prefecture in 1985, he completed a master’s programme in aerospace engineering at the University of Tokyo’s graduate school in 2010, followed by a doctorate in design engineering at the Royal College of Art in London in 2016.

Yoshimoto founded the design studio Tangent in London in 2015. In 2020 he co-founded the field of Advanced Art and Design at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, while further expanding his work in London and Tokyo. He specialises in the progressive integration of design and engineering and has provided numerous designs and concepts for world-famous luxury brands, as well as engaging in a wide range of fields from the development of new businesses based on technology to urban development.

His recently founded international initiative Craft x Tech connects traditional Japanese crafts with cutting-edge technology. He actively presents artworks through collaborations with traditional crafts, working on the evolution and passing-on of Japanese culture.

Yoshimoto’s notable works include the giant wall art ‘Orb’ (2023) for the Tanegashima Space Art Festival; ‘Dawn’ (2023), which fuses traditional ‘Kanazawa’ gold leaf with state-of-the-art laser processing technology; the installation ‘Here’ (2019) for the Hermès pavilion at the international fine watch salon SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie); the glass sculpture ‘Rise’, released from Wonderglass; the animation ‘Ascension’ (2016)  for the façade of the world’s tallest tower, the Burj al Khalifa; and ‘Inaho’ (2013), a lighting concept inspired by swaying rice plants that was the winner of the first Lexus Design Award.

He has received many awards in the fields of design and engineering, including the Excellence Award from the Artificial Intelligence Society of Japan; Super Creator certification from the IPA Unexplored Software Project; the Wakayama Prefectural Culture Encouragement Award; the Lexus Design Award; and the Reddot Design Concept Best of the Best award.

https://www.tngnt.uk/   

Musician/composer profile – Keiichiro Shibuya / ATAK

Musician and composer Keiichiro Shibuya graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts with a degree in composition and today works internationally with bases in Tokyo and Paris. His work spans a wide range from cutting-edge electronic music to piano solos, operas, film scores and sound installations. In 2012 he presented the first Vocaloid opera ‘THE END’ which received its premiere production at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, starring Hatsune Miku and with costumes designed by Marc Jacobs, then a designer for Louis Vuitton. In 2018, Shibuya presented the Android Opera^® ‘Scary Beauty’, featuring a humanoid android equipped with AI that conducted an orchestra while singing. In 2021, his opera ‘Super Angels’ was given its premiere performance at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. The following year, he presented the Android Opera ‘MIRROR’ for the Dubai Expo; a full 70-minute version of this work was given its premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2023.

Shibuya has also worked on numerous film scores: in 2020 he received the Music Award at the 75^th Mainichi film Awards was honoured at the 30^th Japan Film Critics’ Awards for the movie ‘Midnight Swan’. Through his work, he questions the boundaries between technology, life and death.

http://atak.jp/en/

‘8 Minutes and 20 Seconds’ designer profile – Marjan van Aubel

Marjan van Aubel is a solar designer from the Netherlands whose work explores innovations that combine sunlight and technology for a sustainable future. The Marjan van Aubel Studio engages in creative activities to incorporate solar energy into daily life and has received numerous awards. Van Aubel’s vision is to create a future that fuses sustainability, design, and solar technology. Through solar design, she aims to bring about lasting change, incorporating solar power generation into people’s lives through buildings and objects, making it more accessible.

Her passion aligns with Lexus’ story and its aim for battery electric vehicles to deliver experiential value as familiar elements in people’s lives, leading to an eventually carbon neutral society.

Her notable works include ‘Sunne’, ‘Current Table’, ‘Power Plant’ and the roof design for the Netherlands Pavilion at the 2020 Dubai Expo.

Van Aubel graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2012 with a Master’s degree in Product Design and holds a Bachelor’s degree (2009) from the DesignLAB at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Her leading brand collaborations include COS, Timberland and Swarovski to help accelerate the transition to solar energy globally.

https://www.marjanvanaubel.com/

Lexus returns to Milan Design Week this spring, exhibiting “Time”, a pair of interactive installations featuring new and original work by two leading global designers – both aimed at illuminating the future of human-centred design from the canvas of the world’s largest design event.

Since its founding 35 years ago, Lexus has continuously challenged the status quo in the luxury automotive space, pushing boundaries in both products and services to create new experiences that respect every moment of a customer’s time.

Building on this mindset, “Time” explores how the era of software-defined hardware will infinitely expand the possibilities for personally tailored experiences, allowing future design to seamlessly anticipate and evolve with each individual.

The exhibition is divided between two installations within the same site. The indoor exhibit "BEYOND THE HORIZON" by Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent expresses a world of next-generation mobility that continues to evolve in limitless ways through software, complemented by the music of Keiichiro Shibuya that further invites visitors into an immersive space.

"8 Minutes 20 Seconds" by Marjan van Aubel will be exhibited outside, expressing the investment she shares with Lexus in pioneering new approaches to design and technology toward a carbon-neutral future.

Both exhibitions incorporate the next-generation Lexus electric vehicle LF-ZC, a concept that represents how the synergy of hardware and software can redefine the automotive experience.

Lexus has been a regular exhibitor at Milan Design Week for almost 20 years, collaborating with many leading designers and artists to create immersive experiences for visitors. The roll call of talent includes such internationally respected names as Philippe Nigro, Sou Fujimoto, Rhizomatiks, Germane Barnes and Suchi Reddy.

“Time” will be on public view in the Art Point and Art Garden at Superstudio Pìu in Milan’s famous Tortona design district from April 16 to 21.

Notes to editors:

Event details 
Dates: Press Day April 15, 10am to 8pm; Public Days April 16 to 21, 10am to 9pm 
Venue: Art Point and Art Garden, Superstudio Più, Via Tortona 27, 20144 - Milan, Italy 
Exhibition: 
- Installation “BEYOND THE HORIZON” by Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent (Art Point) 
- Installation “8 Minutes 20 Seconds” by Marjan van Aubel (Art Garden) 

Designer profile –Hideki Yoshimoto /Tangent

Hideki Yoshimoto, founder of the international Tangent design and innovation brand, was the winner of the first Lexus Design Award in 2013, while still a student at the Royal College of Art in London. His winning lighting design “INAHO” was invited to participate in exhibitions around the world and went on to be developed as a commercial product. 

Yoshimoto specialises in the progressive fusion of design and engineering. In addition to providing global luxury brands such as Hermès with designs and concepts, he is active in a wide range of fields, from technology-based new business development to urban schemes.  In recent years, he has been involved in the evolution and transmission of Japanese culture, including the founding of Craft x Tech, an international initiative to connect traditional Japanese crafts and leading-edge technology.

Tangent is a design studio that aims to express the idea of “bringing technology closer to people’s lives and time, rather than thrusting it on them”. Its collaboration approach resonates with the relationship that Lexus aims to build between its customers and mobility.

https://www.tngnt.uk/   

Designer profile –Marjan van Aubel / Marjan van Aubel Studio

Marjan van Aubel is a solar designer from the Netherlands whose work explores innovations that combine sunlight and technology for a sustainable future. She is the director of the Marjan van Aubel Studio, which has produced award-winning creative activities aimed at incorporating solar energy into daily life. 

Explaining her studio’s creative ethos, she says: “We will continue to create a future that combines sustainability, design, and solar technology, create lasting change through solar design, and bring solar power closer to life by incorporating it into our lives through buildings and objects. That's what I'm aiming for.”

This idea connects with Lexus’ design vision and its aim for battery electric vehicles to deliver experiential value that is human-centred.

Van Aubel graduated from the Royal College of Art with a Master’s degree in Product Design and holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Rietveld Academy Design Lab. Leading brand collaborations include COS, Timberland and Swarovski to help accelerate the transition to solar energy globally. Her notable works include “Sunne,” “Current Table,” “Power Plant” and the roof design for the Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

https://www.marjanvanaubel.com/

Composer profile–Keiichiro Shibuya

A Japanese composer, musician, and artist based in Tokyo and Paris. Graduated from the Tokyo University of the Arts' Department of Composition. His work encompasses cutting-edge electronic music, piano solos, operas, film scores, and sound installations.

In 2012, Shibuya created the vocaloid opera The End, starring Hatsune Miku. The opera premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, with costumes designed by Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs and since then has toured worldwide. In 2018, Shibuya premiered another opera called “Android Opera”. The opera features an AI-equipped android, which sings while conducting an orchestra. In 2021, Shibuya received a commission to create the opera Super Angels by the New National Theatre, Tokyo. In 2022, he performed the Android Opera MIRROR for Expo 2020 Dubai. The full 70-minute version of this opera was premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Shibuya has also received recognition for his film scores. In 2020 and 2021, he was recognized at the 75th Mainichi Film Awards and received the 30th Japan Movie Critics Award for the film Midnight Swan.

Through his works, Shibuya continues to push the boundaries of technology, life, and death.

http://atak.jp/en/

 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 lineup 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.
 

A multi-function jacket that could provide valuable help to travellers in remote and arid locations has won the first Lexus Your Choice Award. The ingenious concept by Denmark-based Swedish designer Pavel Hedström was one of four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023. It subsequently collected the most votes cast by members of the public who visited Lexus’ presentation of the winning prototypes at Milan Design Week in April.  Both those who viewed the exhibition in person and those who visited online were eligible to nominate their favourite.

Fog-X captured the award’s defining principles of design that can help secure a better future. It is a jacket that converts into a one-person shelter and has a section that can be raised to catch fog and turn it into drinking water. During the award’s mentorship phase, Hedström was able to expand the concept to include a mobile app to help users locate areas of fog. More details about Fog-X and the other winning design concepts are available at https://discoverlexus.com/stories/lexus-design-award-2023/

Lexus has today unveiled ‘Shaped by Air,’ an installation by the acclaimed New York-based artist and architect Suchi Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design.  The work is being presented alongside the prototypes produced by the four winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023 in a public exhibition taking place at Milan’s Superstudio space until April 23^rd. Both the installation and the Lexus Design Award express an overarching theme of shaping the future.

The presentation is the latest in a series of compelling, immersive visitor experiences Lexus has brought to Milan Design Week, partnering with visionary creatives including Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujimoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others. Reddy’s ‘Shaped by Air’ maintains this tradition. Her work is inspired by the Lexus Electrified Sport, Lexus’ vision for a future all-electric sports coupe, and the quality it projects of being shaped by the air around it.

Reddy’s artwork was first presented at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami (ICA-Miami) during Miami Art & Design Week 2022. It has been reimagined for Milan Design Week as a multi-sensory experience which visitors can move through. The light and airy installation celebrates a commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design that is shared by both the artist and Lexus.

Brian Bolain, Lexus’ Global Head of Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Suchi Reddy in Milan, a city that has inspired so much ground-breaking creativity. We hope that by placing her human-centred approach to design in dialogue with the innovation of our Lexus Design Award winners, we will inspire visitors to imagine new futures. The Lexus Electrified Sport and Reddy’s interpretation of it, together with these award-winning prototypes, represents forward-looking design and expresses our ongoing commitment to craftsmanship and sustainability.”

The site-specific installation inside Superstudio invites guests to discover a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport after travelling through a forest-like collection of composite shapes, suspended from the ceiling. Set at varying heights and finished in a vibrant shade of green, these subtly call to mind the cut-outs of French painter Henri Matisse. The sculptural steel and aluminium elements are made partly from recycled or re-used consumer materials. Punctuated by dappled light, they create an absorbing environment that evokes the natural world. An accompanying soundscape inspired by the wind further helps bring visitors into harmony with nature.

Suchi Reddy commented: “I am excited to partner with Lexus – a brand committed to uplifting artists and designers – on a new iteration of ‘Shaped by Air’. This immersive interpretation in Milan makes use of repetition, multi-sensory elements and three-dimensionality to create an emotional environment that envelops the body like a car.”

Reflecting Lexus’ commitment to Omotenashi––a concept that encompasses both hospitality and mindfulness––the Superstudio space invites visitors to rest in an upstairs lounge, where they can observe ‘Shaped by Air’ from a different vantage point. The lounge’s air is purified by Panasonic’s nanoe™ X, a technology that helps create a healthier in-car atmosphere in many Lexus models.

Digital audiences will be able to engage with ‘Shaped by Air’ through a partnership with Diorama, a Milan and Paris-based digital creative agency. Diorama has imagined the installation as a metaverse experience that complements the physical installation, but has a life of its own. This virtual extension is realised as a dynamic digital forest. Users can explore an abstract natural world from a completely new perspective, one that is filled with the rustling of leaves, currents of air and diffusions of light. Diorama has also produced an augmented reality journey that visitors to the Milan exhibition will be able to discover on-site, using a custom Lexus Instagram filter.

Lexus Design Award 2023 winners’ prototypes

Lexus’ exhibition also includes the final prototypes created by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023. The competition invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, address it with an innovative solution and captivate the imagination with exceptional design, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all.

The works express Lexus’ belief that design has the power to deliver positive change. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates up-and-coming talent from around the world. The panel of judges – Paola Antonelli, Karim Rashid and Simon Humphries, all internationally respected figures in their creative fields – selected the concepts that best represented the theme of ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’.

Simon Humphries, Toyota Motor Corporation Chief Branding Officer, said: “We as designers have a unique responsibility to create answers to challenges, whether that is through innovative ideas, beautiful aesthetics or any other method that could offer a better future. From this point of view, the winning ideas were a clear reminder of the ‘power of design’.”

Ahead of their showcase at Milan Design Week, the winners were given a unique opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with four world-class creators who served as this year’s Lexus Design Award mentors: Marjan van Aubel, Joe Doucet, Yuri Suzuki, and Sumayya Vally. 

The winners have significantly evolved their prototypes through the mentorship process, transforming already beautiful ideas into practical, scalable and ambitious designs.

●        Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), designer of Fog-X, a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter and can catch fog that turns it into drinking water.

●        Jiaming Liu (China), designer of Print Clay Humidifier, a sustainable, 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste.

●        Temporary Office, [Singapore (Vincent Lai) and Canada (Douglas Lee), based in USA], designers of Touch the Valley, a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through touch.

●        Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea), designers of Zero Bag, a new clothing package that dissolves in water and contains a detergent that can remove chemicals from products while reducing plastic waste.

Sumayya Vally commented: “It was incredible to witness the winners’ hard work manifested in the work they presented. I believe that each of the projects is poetically and pertinently posing meaningful and urgent questions about our present world, and bringing into being a more beautiful and responsive future.”

The final prototypes are on view for the first time in Milan. Visitors are invited to explore the works and learn about how the concepts evolved through the mentorship process.

The Lexus Design Award also welcomes the public to take part in the Your Choice Award and vote for the idea they feel best represents ‘Design for a Better Tomorrow’. The voting is open to those visiting in-person and also online here.

Lexus has been at the forefront of pioneering electrification in the luxury market since 2005. With the presentation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, it continues to push the boundaries of technology and craftsmanship with an unwavering commitment to sustainability and a consideration for the evolving needs of transportation and lifestyles worldwide.  Suchi Reddy’s installation highlights the potential of electrification and, together with the work of the Lexus Design Award winners, underscores Lexus’ vision for a future that is human-centred, carbon-neutral, and focused on craftsmanship and quality.

NOTES TO EDITORS

EVENT DETAILS

Dates

Press day: April 17^th, 3 pm to 9 pm

Public days: April 18^th to 22^nd, 11 am to 9 pm and April 23^rd, 11 am to 6 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Day Light)

Via Tortona, 27

20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibition details

‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy

Prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

Online experience

‘Shaped by Air’ Metaverse Experience : https://discoverlexus.com/stories/shaped-by-air-at-milan-design-week-2023/

Shaped by Air AR Filter: https://www.instagram.com/ar/1378144106301649/ 

Lexus Design Award ‘Your Choice Award’: http://lexusdesignaward.com/vote

ABOUT SUCHI REDDY

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with an approach to design that privileges the emotional quality of human engagement with space. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research at the intersection of neuroscience and the arts. Working towards a larger idea of “design justice,” she is dedicated to expanding our notions of empathy, equity, and agency—where the importance of design is recognized as an asset for the benefit of all, not just for some.

Reddy teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Cooper Union’s Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. She was the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America, and the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana in 2019, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design.

She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture, and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 WINNERS

Pavels Hedström　

Sweden, Based in Denmark

Pavels Hedström began his career as an architect after earning his Master of Architecture and Extreme Environments degree (architecture, design conservation) from the Royal Danish Academy. He explores how holistic approaches can be applied to existing ecosystems.

Fog-X　

Fog-X is a jacket that transforms into a tent/shelter that catches fog and turns it into drinking water. Through the mentorship programme, Fog-X has evolved significantly – both transforming from a heavy backpack to a light jacket/shelter and adding the creation of a mobile app for easy access to find fog. The idea became a solution incorporated in an everyday object.

Jiaming Liu

China

Jiaming Liu is an industrial designer who focuses on bringing fresh perspectives into people’s daily lives. He is currently exploring cross-cultural and sustainable design. He was born in China, where he completed his bachelor's degree, and recently graduated with a master's degree from Folkwang University of the Arts.

Print Clay Humidifier

Print Clay Humidifier is a 3D-printed humidifier made with recycled ceramic waste. After rounds of testing and prototyping with different materials and techniques, Jiaming landed on a 3D printing method and powdered ceramic (recycled from ceramic waste) that further improved water absorption efficiency. It is a non-electric, recycled and recyclable version of a common household device that is both functional and elegant.

Temporary Office

Vincent Lai (Singapore), Douglas Lee (Canada)

Based in USA

Temporary Office is a design team of Vincent Lai and Douglas Lee, graduates from University of California, Berkeley. They have worked on projects crossing the boundaries of architecture, public space, preservation and product design. With a strong focus on historical research and precedent, Temporary Office seeks to constructively respond to the ever-changing needs of our environment in a rational yet playful way.　

Touch the Valley

Touch the Valley is a 3D topographic puzzle that helps visually impaired people learn about the physical environment through the sense of touch. Taking feedback from user-testing, the puzzle’s playability was improved by the addition of small features, including magnet feedback, elevational grooves, and smoother edges – enabling people to enjoy immersing themselves in exploring and playing the puzzle without too much cognitive load.

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo　

Republic of Korea

Kyeongho Park & Yejin Heo are students majoring in industrial design at Hanyang University's ERICA campus in the Republic of Korea. They are concerned about social and environmental problems and explore user-centred solutions through design.

Zero Bag

Zero Bag is an eco-friendly packaging with paper detergent or baking soda film attached to an alginate water-soluble bag. Through the mentoring programme, Kyeongho and Yejin developed and articulated the potential use cases and target markets for this type of product. The idea for clothing packaging for the retail market evolved to include explorations for different industries, from clothes to food. The development process continues to evolve, as the designers embrace the myriad potential for their ideas.

Lexus will return to Milan Design Week this year with a new installation by acclaimed New York artist and architect Suchi Reddy. ‘Shaped by Air’ will form the centrepiece of its presence at the world-leading celebration of international design. The occasion will also see the public unveiling of the prototypes created by the four winners in the 2023 Lexus Design Award.

Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design, drew inspiration from the curves and craftsmanship of the Lexus Electrified Sport coupe. She has produced an elegant and airy artwork that expresses the sustainability, innovation and design excellence that are fundamental to the Lexus brand ethos. ‘Shaped by Air’ celebrates the collaborators’ shared commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design. Its Milan unveiling follows its premiere at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), during Miami Art and Design Week 2022.

Reddy has re-imagined her installation specifically for the context of its appearance at Milan’s Superstudio from April 17 to 23. The work presents a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, shaped by light and with vibrant green leaf-like cut-out shapes that suggest movement through nature. For the Milan presentation, these forms will be suspended from the ceiling like a mobile, calling to mind shapes in the vehicle’s design and the cut-outs of Henri Matisse.

Reddy commented: “Lexus’ continued commitment to innovation – and its support of an artistic approach that is a confluence of art and design – led me to envision this immersive experience as both a sculpture and a multisensory spatial experience.”

The sculpture is partially made of recycled/re-used consumer materials and conveys a sense of movement. At first glance, the pieces appear abstract, but as the viewer moves closer, they reveal the outline of a car. Reddy, whose design ethos has been described as a “form follows feeling” approach, has carefully calibrated the installation’s environment to make it welcoming, contemplative and enveloping. The aim is to give visitors to the exhibition a sense of walking through a forest with rustling leaves underfoot. The event will also reflect Lexus’ famous Omotenashi hospitality with an elevated lounge for rest and reflection.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD WINNERS’ PROTOTYPES

A gallery alongside the ‘Shaped by Air’ installation will display the prototype works created by the four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023, design concepts which capture Lexus’ belief that design can help deliver positive change for the world. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates and nurtures new creative talent from around the globe. This year’s winners, selected from 2,068 entries from 63 different countries, are Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), Jiaming Liu (China), Temporary Office, (Vincent Lai, Singapore and Douglas Lee, Canada, based in USA) and Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea). Further details about the winners and their design concepts are available at the Lexus Europe newsroom here.

The Lexus Design Award 2023 brief invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, while articulating the Lexus brand principles of Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate and enhancing people’s happiness. This year, Lexus is hosting a People’s Choice award, where members of the public can vote for their favourite among the design concepts. The voting will be open in April, both to visitors to the presentation and to those viewing the works online.

Brian Bolain, Lexus Head of Global Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with the inimitable Suchi Reddy and see the Lexus Electrified Sport come to life alongside the work of our Lexus Design Award winners. Suchi’s commitment to designing for a better tomorrow captures the innovative spirit of the award and we cannot imagine a more perfect synergy for this year’s presentation.”

Lexus has created compelling, immersive experience for visitors at Milan Design Week since 2005, partnering with such world-renowned creatives as Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujinoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others.

Notes to editors :

Event details

Dates:     Press Day April 17, 2pm to 9pm; Public Days April 18 to 23, 11am to 9pm

Venue:   Superstudio Più, Via Tortona, 27, 20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibits: ‘Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy and prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

About Suchi Reddy

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with a human-centric approach to design, dedicated to celebrating diversity and equality, as well as addressing the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts of her work on both the user and the planet.

Reddy is the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. In 2019, she was appointed the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design. Reddy has presented and lectured on the firm’s work at numerous venues including The Salk Institute for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture’s annual conference, the University of Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin.  She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

Reddymade has received numerous awards for design excellence, including being recognised by the American Institute of Architects and NYCxDesign. Regularly featured in print and online media, the work of Reddymade actively contributes to a social and cultural discourse that explores how neuroaesthetics and designing for wellbeing positively impact all people.

This year’s event, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, presents a trio of design explorations, all inspired by Lexus’ human-centered, future-oriented approach to design. Compelling and engaging, Lexus: Sparks of Tomorrow, includes an immersive installation by award-winning architect and designer Germane Barnes with lighting studio Aqua Creations, new prototypes from LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists, and work by students at London’s Royal College of art envisioning a more sustainable future.

“We are excited to return to Milan Design Week with an incredible array of projects that highlight next generation design and our commitment at Lexus to forging a path towards a carbon-neutral future through technology, craftsmanship, and innovation,” commented Brian Bolain, Lexus’ global head of marketing. “We are especially thrilled to be able to present the work of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 finalists and Royal College of Arts students in the context of Germane Barnes’s ON/ installation, in its second iteration here with lighting design studio Aqua Creations. As Milan Design Week opens, we look forward to seeing how the public engages with the Lexus presentation, and makes our vision for the future their own”

Developed in partnership with Lexus and Germane Barnes, the ON/ installation gives a vision for an electrified, carbon-neutral and human-centred future. The display showcases the Lexus RZ, the first Lexus dedicated battery-electric model. Rendered in a wire frame that is suspended just above the ground, the vehicle’s interpretation embodies Lexus' vision of a more sustainable future coming into focus and embracing the ideas of electrification, technology, and bespoke design. The RZ is illuminated by Aqua Creations’ Code 130° silk collection of colorful pendant lights, which add a material quality to the immersive installation reflecting Lexus’ vision for a carbon-neutral future becoming a reality. The installation will be accompanied by a lounge area featuring the new ToTeM lighting collection by Aqua Creations.

“It is thrilling to revisit the ON/ installation with Lexus and bring the display to Milan,” said Germane Barnes, principal of Studio Barnes. “The original ON/ exhibit featured the LF-Z, a concept car that signaled a move toward carbon neutrality.  Now, with the RZ, we explored the evolution from concept to reality, partnering with Aqua Creations to create an environment that is infused with heightened sense of materiality.  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 an exciting synergy with the designers showcased across Sparks of Tomorrow.”

Visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the work of the six finalists of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022, promising talent. Finalists were chosen for their original solutions contributing to a better tomorrow, while articulating the Lexus brand's three core principles – Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate; while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all, by a panel of design luminaries. The finalists spent three months developing their original proposals and creating prototypes under the enthusiastic and highly skilled mentors. Mentoring by the world's leading creators was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for these up-and-coming talents and it is recognized as a feature of this Award.

Lexus’ presentation will also include work by students presenting radical new luxury transport concepts in a creative programme commissioned by Lexus, “2040: The Soul of Future Premium” for the Royal College of Art in London, UK.  The project challenged postgraduate students at the college’s Intelligent Mobility Design Centre (IMDC) to explore new vehicle architectures to meet changes in European city life and society and to re-imagine the role Lexus might play as a luxury mobility brand. The six-month programme included mentoring and assessment sessions with Ian Cartabiano and Lance Scott, respectively President and Senior Manager at Lexus’ European design studio, ED2, together with Prof Dale Harrow, Chair of the IMDC, and Dr Chris Thorpe, the RCA’s Intelligent Mobility Head of Programme.

Dates and opening hours

June 6 – 12, 11 am to 9 pm

Venue

Superstudio Più (Art Point)

Via Tortona, 27 20144 – Milano, Italy

Exhibits

• ON/ installation created by Germane Barnes with Aqua Creations
• Designs by the six finalists in the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022
• Designs by students at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London

About Germane Barnes

Germane Barnes is the director of Studio Barnes, and Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture. Barnes’ practice investigates the connection between architecture and identity, examining architecture’s social and political agency through historical research and design speculation.  Believing strongly in design as a communal process, he approaches each condition imposed on a project as an opportunity for transformation.

He was a winner of the 2021 United States Artists Fellowship, 2021 Wheelwright Prize, 2021 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers, and is a 2021-2022 Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome.

Making the world a better place through design has always been the program’s purpose and now, in its seventh year, the 2019 award makes that objective clearer than ever under the directive of “Design for a Better Tomorrow”.

The next-generation of designers will need to consider how their creative ideas incorporate three fundamental principles from the Lexus brand: “Anticipate,” “Innovate,” and “Captivate,” as well as how their design anticipates the needs of tomorrow’s society. They will need to develop innovative designs that bring fresh imaginative solutions. At the same time, their ideas and designs should be captivating and engaging to the audience and more importantly, of the esteemed judging panel.

The six finalists will be announced in early 2019. The judges and the mentors for the award will be disclosed in the fall 2018. Past LDA judges and mentors include such luminaries such as Sir David Adjaye, Snarkitecture, and Formafantasma.

The judges will select the six best ideas to be developed into functional prototypes with a production budget up to 3 million JPY (over $25K USD) each and with the support of world renowned mentors. The prototypes will be displayed at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2019* where they will compete for the Grand Prix prize.

To prepare the finalists for Milan, Lexus will also provide a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship that gives each finalist an exclusive opportunity to receive direct hands-on guidance from acclaimed professionals who share their priceless knowledge and experience for creating the prototype and beyond.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2019 competition will be accepted from August 9 through October 28, 2018. More information can be found on:

Lexus Design Award website: LexusDesignAward.com

Official hashtags: #LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek

^{* The world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, presents events and exhibits by brands and designers in many categories including furniture, fashion and textiles.}

CALL FOR ENTRIES TO THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2019 COMPETITION

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for six finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

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 1 million hybrid vehicles.*

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

^{*(1,263,055 units as of December 2017)}

Each year, thousands of young creative talent from around the world aspire to be selected to participate in Lexus Design Award, where they have an opportunity to receive mentorship from established global designers, prototype funding, and an invitation to exhibit at the Lexus Design Event during Milan Design Week. Sir David Adjaye and the other judges will select the 12 finalists that best embody this year’s theme, “CO-“ and reflect the Lexus brand belief that great design can make the world a better place. At Milan Design Week 2018, Adjaye and his fellow judges will award the coveted grand prix award to one of the finalists.

“The Lexus Design Award provides an incredible platform for young designers from around the globe to help craft a more inclusive future. I’m honored to be part of this panel helping to elevate these voices. This year’s theme particularly resonated with me. As we negotiate the challenges of the 21st century, thinking collaboratively and across disciplines is more important than ever before.” – Sir David Adjaye.

Named as one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine, the Ghanaian-British architect was knighted in 2017 for services to architecture. In 2016, he received the Panerai London Design Medal. Among his recent accomplishments, Sir Adjaye, designed the National Museum of African American History and Culture — a Smithsonian Institution museum, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — featuring a crown motif from Yoruba (native Nigerian) sculpture.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 competition are accepted from July 24 through October 08. The 12 finalists will be announced in January 2018 and the Grand Prix winner will be announced during Milan Design Week — April 16th 2018. For more information on Lexus Design Award 2018, see LexusDesignAward.com

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2018 competition accepted from July 24 through October 08. The 12 finalists will be announced in January 2018 and the Grand Prix winner will be announced during Milan Design Week — April 16th 2018.

INTRODUCING NEW JUDGES FOR 2018

Lexus is excited to announce a new judge for the 2018 competition, Shigeru Ban. Renowned for his ingenious use of lightweight, unconventional and environmentally responsible materials — in particular, paper and bamboo — Shigeru is changing ideas about architecture.

Returning to help judge the 2018 competition are a number of leading innovators from around the globe. Paola Antonelli is Curator of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Birgit Lohmann is Chief Editor of designboom and has worked as a designer and product developer for a number of Italian architects and master designers. Alice Rawsthorn writes about design in the International New York Times and frieze. Yoshihiro Sawa, President of Lexus International, started his own career in the automotive industry working on production and design.

TOP GLOBAL CREATIVES WILL MENTOR WINNING FINALISTS

The four prototype finalists will enjoy a hands-on experience working with pioneers and well-known creators in a number of exciting fields. One of the best-known Japanese architects today, Sou Fujimoto, creates futuristic structures incorporating natural and architectural elements. The Italian design duo, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, make up Amsterdam-based Studio Formafantasma. Their work has been presented and published internationally at museums such as New York's MoMA and London’s Victoria and Albert, and they teach design in various universities and institutions in Europe. Contemporary lighting designer Lindsey Adelman skyrocketed to fame with her branching chandelier designs, and now leads a team of designers, glass artists and craftspeople in her studios in New York and Los Angeles. New York-based designer and art director Jessica Walsh has won awards from most major design competitions, and she was awarded Forbes Magazine’s “30 under 30 top creatives designing the future.”

JUDGE AND MENTOR PROFILES

JUDGES:

SHIGERU BAN ／ARCHITECT

Born in Tokyo in 1957. Graduated from the Cooper Union. Started working for Arata Isozaki & Associates in 1982. Founded Shigeru Ban Architects in 1985. Became consultant to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1995. Established the NGO, Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN) in the same year to support disaster relief. Selected works include Nicolas G. Hayek Center, Centre Pompidou- Metz, and Oita Prefecture Art Museum. Recipient of multiple awards, including Grande Médaille d’or de l’Académie d’architecture (2004), Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture (2005), Grand Prize of AIJ (2009), Honorary Doctorate from Technische Universität München (2009), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (le grade d’officier) (2010), Auguste Perret Prize (2011), Art Prize from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (2012), L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France (le grade de commandeur) (2014) and JIA Gran Prix (2016). Served as Professor at Keio University (2001-2008), Visiting Professor of Harvard University GSD and Cornell University (2010), and currently Professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design (2011-), Guest Professor at Keio University (2015-). Laureate of the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

PAOLA ANTONELLI / SENIOR CURATOR MOMA

Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science and technology. She has curated numerous shows, written several books, and lectured worldwide. She has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Harvard Graduate School of Design; and the MFA programs of the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is currently working on an exhibition on the 111 garments that changed the world; on Design Bites, a book about foods from all over the world appreciated as examples of design; and on a book collecting her essays on the different fields of contemporary design.

BIRGIT LOHMANN / CHIEF EDITOR OF DESIGNBOOM

Born in Hamburg, Lohmann studied industrial design in Florence before moving to Milan, where she has lived and worked since 1987. She worked as a designer and product development manager for a number of Italian architects and master designers. She has also worked as a design historian for justice departments and international auction houses. As a researcher and lecturer, she has conducted seminars on industrial design at a number of prestigious international universities. In 1999, she co-founded designboom, where she is currently the Chief Editor, Head of Educational Programming and Curator for International Exhibitions.

ALICE RAWSTHORN / DESIGN COMMENTATOR

Alice Rawsthorn is an award-winning design critic, who has written about design for the New York Times for over a decade. Her latest book Hello World: Where Design Meets Life explores design’s impact on our lives. Her next book, A Field Guide to Design, is to be published in spring 2018 as a survey of design today. Alice speaks on design at important global events including TED and the World Economic Forum’s annual meetings at Davos, Switzerland. Based in London, she is chair of trustees of the Chisenhale Gallery and the contemporary dance group Michael Clark Company, and a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery. Alice was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to design and the arts.

YOSHIHIRO SAWA / PRESIDENT OF LEXUS INTERNATIONAL

Yoshihiro Sawa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Design from Kyoto Institute of Technology. He has held a number of design-related positions since joining Toyota Motor Corporation in 1980, including Chief Officer of Global Design, Planning Division. He became President of Lexus International in April 2017.

MENTORS:

FORMAFANTASMA / DESIGNER

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin are Studio Formafantasma, Italian designer duo based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They have developed a coherent body of work characterized by experimental material investigations and explored issues such as the relationship between tradition and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits. Their work has been presented and published internationally and museums such as New York's MoMA, London’s Victoria and Albert, New York's Metropolitan Museum, the Chicago Art Institute, the Textiel Museum in Tilburg, the Stedelijk’s-Hertogenbosch, MUDAC Lausanne, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in North Carolina and the MAK Museum in Vienna have all acquired Formafantasma’s designs for their permanent collections. Andrea and Simone are lecturing and heading workshops in various Universities and Institutions. Currently teaching at the ‘Well Being’ and 'Contextual Design' Departments of the Design Academy Eindhoven and they are at the head of the Design bachelor at MADE Program in Siracusa, Italy.

SOU FUJIMOTO / ARCHITECT

Sou Fujimoto was born in Hokkaido in 1971. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Tokyo University, he established Sou Fujimoto Architectsin 2000. In 2016, he has won the 1st prize for“Pershing”, one of the sites in the French competition called 'Réinventer Paris', following the victories in the Invited International Competition for the New Learning Center at Paris-Saclay's Ecole Polytechnique and the International Competition for the Second Folly of Montpellierin 2014. In 2013, he became the youngest architect to design the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in London. His notable works include; “Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013” (2013), “House NA” (2011), “Musashino Art University Museum & Library” (2010), “Final Wooden House” (2008), “House N” (2008) and many more.

LINDSEY ADELMAN / DESIGNER

Decades before founding her eponymous studio, Lindsey Adelman was already designer — just not publicly so. First, she was simply a precarious, curious child, building endlessly in the backyards of suburban New York, uncertain of how to make a career of it; then, an English student at Kenyon College; then, on the editorial staff at The Smithsonian Institutione. Fortunately, there, her accidental discovery of industrial design — in the literal form of a fabricated foam French fry — propelled her off to RISD to make a life of that childhood passion. Today, from her studios in New York and Los Angeles, she manipulates light to create fixtures that are as emotive as they are physically transformative — objects imbibed with their own history and meaning, often unselfconsciously so, that give color and texture and depth to the world around them.

JESSICA WALSH / GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Jessica Walsh is a designer & art director working as a partner at NYC based design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. She lectures about design at creative conferences and universities internationally and teaches design at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. Her work has won numerous awards from most major design competitions including Type Director’s Club, Art Director’s Club, SPD, Print, New York Festivals, D&AD, TDC Tokyo, and Graphis, among many others. She has been awarded Forbes “30 under 30 top creatives designing the future” and Ad Age’s “Top 10 Visual Creatives". Her work has been featured in numerous books & magazines. Clients include the Museum of Modern Art, The Jewish Museum, Jay-Z, Snapchat, Barneys, The New York Times, Levis, Adobe, and Her blog & book “40 Days of Dating” received over 10 million readers and is currently being turned into a movie by Warner Brothers.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides a unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Anticipating the future, this exhibit conveys how Lexus imagines what is yet unseen and delivers new forms of surprise and enchantment to create amazing experiences.

Brussels, Belgium -

DESIGNER

FORMAFANTASMA

Andrea Trimarchi (b1983) and Simone Farresin (b1980), Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team with work characterized by experimental materials investigations.

Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, they have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands.

Their work has also been published internationally and has been acquired to be in the permanent collections in major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

DESIGN CONCEPT

TRANSPARENCY

Taking transparency as the concept for its space and installation design, Formafantasma conveys the aesthetics behind Lexus’ forward-looking vision through subtle nuances of color, light and form.

One representation of this is the use of translucent walls inspired by Japanese shoji throughout the exhibition space. These walls or doors of paper fixed over a lattice frame of wood allow light to pass through. This reflects an age-old Japanese aesthetic and also reveals shadows or shapes of people outside the room. This allows one to ANTICIPATE a guest’s arrival and prepare to welcome them in the spirit of OMOTENASHI.

GARDEN

Lexus creates anticipation and invites guests to enter by walking beneath a series of gates like those found at some Japanese shrines before emerging in an open garden space. From the garden, two dramatic portals lead to experiences that enable visitors to be, immersed in the exhibit’s theme of Anticipation.

AREA 1: DISCOVERING CRAFTSMANSHIP

Lexus enables visitors to discover its commitment to craftsmanship and building fine cars in this area. The 16 beautiful stools positioned here are finished using the same paint process as the Lexus LF-FC flagship concept, which was introduced at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. By viewing and touching these stools, visitors are able to experience the quality and depth of the color.

The winning designs of Lexus Design Award 2016 evoke a sense of anticipation, inviting visitors to walk through and discover the next generation of creators.

FOSTERING THE FUTURE OF DESIGN

The four prototypes and eight panels are presented here within a simple yet sophisticated space. Also on display is a selection of previous Lexus Design Award winners, along with stories of their progress after being entered in prior competitions.

JUDGES & MENTORS

JUDGES

Paola Antonelli / Curator

Aric Chen / Curator

Toyo Ito / Architect

Birgit Lohmann / Chief Editor of designboom

Alice Rawsthorn / Design Commentator

Tokuo Fukuichi / President of Lexus International

MENTORS

Neri & Hu / Architects and Interdisciplinary Designers

Max Lamb / Designer

Elena Manferdini / Designer and Architect

Snarkitecture / Artists and Architects

AGAR PLASTICITY – A POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF AGAR FOR PACKAGING AND MORE

12 FINALISTS - PROTOTYPES

AGAR PLASTICITY – A POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF AGAR FOR PACKAGING AND MORE

AGAR PLASTICITY – A POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF AGAR FOR PACKAGING AND MORE is a project exploring how agar, a gelatinous material obtained from marine algae, can be used as an environmentally friendly packaging material alternative to plastic.

AMAM

Kosuke Araki (JAPAN)/ Noriaki Maetani (JAPAN)/ Akira Muraoka (JAPAN)

Mentored by Max Lamb

Kosuke Araki, Noriaki Maetani and Akira Muraoka, studied at the Product Design Department, Tama Art University, during the same period and formed a design group called “AMAM” in 2015. Kosuke (Design Products) and Noriaki (Innovation Design Engineering) each acquired a Master of Arts at Royal College of Art the same year.

DADA

12 FINALISTS - 4PROTOTYPE

DADA

DADA is a natural toy blocks that anticipate children’s future and personality by looking at what blocks they pick up and how they assemble them.

Myungsik Jang (Korea)

Mentored by Neri & Hu

Myungsik Jang specializes in Industrial Design at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. He is inspired from things surrounding him like nature and animals and wants to tell stories through his work using vitality. His work is based on craft and bricolage designs.

SHAPE SHIFTERS

12 FINALISTS - PROTOTYPE

SHAPE SHIFTERS

SHAPE SHIFTERS is a special cut of garment, applying modular principles to textiles, which allows you to create different fashions as you like.

Angelene Laura Fenuta (Canada/ Italy)

Mentored by Elena Manferdini

Angelene Laura Fenuta, founded ANGELËNE in 2015, during her Masters in Material Futures at Central Saint Martins. Her practice interrogates fashion, while attempting to discover a more 'sustainable' option. ANGELËNE builds upon core female wardrobe components, while being inspired by architectural construction and 18th century aristocratic dress.

TRACE

12 FINALISTS - PROTOTYPE

TRACE

TRACE is a clock that uses a liquid with UV rays and discoloration properties allowing us to visualize the passing time.

STUDIO AYASKAN

Begum Ayaskan (Turkey)/ Bike Ayaskan (Turkey)

Mentored by Snarkitecture

Begum and Bike Ayaskan are a twin designer duo, having graduated from Royal College of Art, with a passion to explore the relation between nature, humans, and objects. Their vision is to bring people closer to nature and nature closer to design, and to create dynamic pieces that change and evolve with time.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016

12 FINALISTS – PANEL

ANIKNOWN

ANIKNOWN is a creation of clothes for six types of animal, choosing the materials according to each one’s features, behavior and habitat.

Ayami Marugata (Japan)

BIO - VIDE

BIO - BIDE is a product, such as tables or envelopes, designed using fallen leaves. It is a visualization of the concept that all things return to earth.

Takuma Yamazaki (Japan)

AREA 1: LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016

12 FINALISTS – PANEL

DROP BOX

DROP BOX utilizes aerodynamics to allow critical supplies to be airdropped safely in disaster areas without requiring a parachute.

Ding Dong & Ma Jincai & Peter Luo & Huang Junxi

-Ding Dong (China)

-Ma Jincai (China)

-Peter Luo (China)

-Huang Junxi (China)

HEXAGON

HEXAGON is an umbrella that uses magnets to connect to other umbrellas, encouraging interaction between people.

Chulin Yang (China)

AREA 1: LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016

12 FINALISTS – PANEL

PLANTS-SKIN

PLANTS-SKIN is a planter made of a colored mortar and special ink that visualizes when plants need to be watered.

Hiroto Yoshizoe (Japan)

PROJECT PLAY

PROJECT PLAY is a first-of-its-kind lamp powered by wireless technology and realized through the creation of magnetic rubber.

Oliver Staiano (United Kingdom)

AREA 1: LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016

12 FINALISTS – PANEL

RESOLUTION OF SOUND LOCATION

RESOLUTION OF SOUND LOCATION is a headphone device composed of super directive microphones and speakers that can determine the sound source and adjust volume.

Owls

-Takato Sasaki (Japan)

-Yuki Shinohara (Japan)

SLOW DOOR

SLOW DOOR is conceived as an assembly of cubic components forming a spatial mechanism that delays the transition through a doorway. It allows us to appreciate the time and space created by the experience.

Deepak Jawahar & Irina Bogdan

-Deepak Jawahar (India)

-Irina Bogdan (Romania)

AREA 2: REVEALING THE UNEXPECTED

Lexus brings shape to previously unimagined designs, and does so in unexpected fashion. In the center of a room with walls inspired by Japanese shoji, a dynamic floating three-dimensional image of the LF-FC takes shape in an unexpected way. The design creates a sense of anticipation as the viewer watches the concept assume physical dimensions. The display pays homage to the constant search for perfection demonstrated by the Lexus design team as they anticipate the future of mobility.

AREA 3: SENSING INNOVATION

Lexus continually anticipates the needs of people and the environment as it demonstrates a keen sense for forward thinking and innovation. This includes applications of clean technology, such as the advanced hydrogen fuel cell system that powers the LF-FC. It generates electricity with clear water as its only emission. A similar system lights the installation’s kinetic sculpture.

Clear water then becomes the inspiration for the culinary treats as Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi integrates water’s buoyancy and transparent properties to create a unique taste experience served with the spirit of Japanese hospitality.

CHEF

YOJI TOKUYOSHI

Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognized as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped that celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established arestaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity, Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

“BUOYANCY”?- THE POWER OF WATER -

Water possesses great energy. Not only does it sustain life, it is also capable of transporting objects over vast distances. The LF-FC anticipates a society that uses hydrogen as an energy source and produces clean water as its only emission. Water here as a motif leads to this awareness in a surprising and delightful manner. “BUOYANCY” presents nasturtium leaves topped with a sweet and sour berry paste floating on a pool of clear water. The two flavors mix in the mouth, delivering an unexpected taste experience.

KEY INGREDIENTS

Nasturtium, prunes, shiso leaves, salt, blueberries, sugar, glucose, xantan gum.

“TRANSPARENT” - TRANSPARENCY SERVED WITH A TWIST –

Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi uses ingredients that serve as a metaphor for something that may be seen or may remain imperceptible, depending on one’s perspective. As the visitor consumes the clear seafood broth, a transparent ball of natural gelatin is revealed, delivering an unanticipated treat as it fills the mouth with a fresh citrus flavor. This echoes the way Lexus envisions the future in delivering an experience that excites and surprises.

KEY INGREDIENTS

Fish broth, agar, mandarine, sugar, glucose.

LEXUS LF-FC FLAGSHIP CONCEPT

The LF-FC flagship concept is a visionary new vehicle designed to bring surprise and evoke emotion, while expressing Lexus’ view of progressive luxury and its high-tech vision for the not so distant future. At the heart of the LF-FC is a high output hydrogen-powered fuel cell system that delivers all-wheel-drive with optimal front-rear weight distribution. Designs inspired by the LF-FC can be seen throughout the Lexus – An Encounter With Anticipation exhibit.

http://www.lexus.com/concept/LFFC/

ARITA PORCELAIN

PRESS DAY ONLY

Dedicated to simplicity and quality, Chef Tokuyoshi chooses to use specially commissioned Arita porcelain in his own restaurant. In recognition of this 400-year history and consistent with Chef Tokuyoshi’s constant pursuit of authenticity and refinement, Lexus has prepared an original set of Arita porcelain to make the tasting experience simply amazing.

Arita, birthplace of Japanese ceramics, will celebrate the 400th anniversary of its porcelain industry in 2016.

In 1616, quality ceramic rocks were found in Arita's Izumiyama mountain, giving birth to Japan’s first locally produced porcelain. From the latter part of the 17th century until the early part of the 18th century, several million pieces of Arita Porcelain were exported to Europe and were highly acclaimed.

LEXUS DESIGN ACTIVITIES IN MILAN 2005 – 2009

2005

Lexus L-finesse ? Japanese art meets automotive design

In collaboration with Junya Ishigami, Hiroshi Senju and Kazuyo Sejima

2006

Tokujin Yoshioka x Lexus L-finesse

In collaboration with Tokujin Yoshioka

2007

Lexus L-finesse – Invisible Garden

In collaboration with Kumiko Inui and Norimichi Hirakawa

2008

Lexus L-finesse ? elastic diamond

In collaboration with nendo

2009

Lexus L-finesse ? crystallized wind

In collaboration with Sosuke Fujimoto

LEXUS DESIGN ACTIVITIES IN MILAN 2013 – 2015

2013

LEXUS DESIGN AMAZING 2013 MILAN

– amazing flow –

In collaboration with Toyo Ito and Akihisa Hirata

2014

LEXUS DESIGN AMAZING 2014 MILAN

In collaboration with

Fabio Novembre – We Dance

Nao Tamura and - Interconnection

MIT Media Lab Tangible Media Group - Transform

2015

LEXUS – A JOURNEY OF THE SENSES

In collaboration with Philippe Nigro and Hajime Yoneda

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The grille, dynamic light treatments, and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

• Multiple Michelin star-winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi creates tasting experiences to complement Lexus’s new commission for Milan Design Week
• Unique dishes “Buoyancy” and “Transparent” inspired by the pure water by-product of the hydrogen fuel cell technology used by the Lexus LF-FC luxury concept car, and by the Japanese hospitality traditions of Omotenashi
• Visitors will sample his work within the three-part “An Encounter with Anticipation” work commissioned from the design studio Formafantasma
• The installation and the work of the finalists in this year’s Lexus Design Award will be on public view at the Spazio Lexus – Torneria in Milan from April 12 to 17 (media preview April 11)

Can you capture the spirit of a car’s design and technology in the taste of a dish? That is the challenge being met by internationally acclaimed chef Yoji Tokuyoshi for Lexus’ “An Encounter with Anticipation” presentation at Milan Design Week – the Salone del Mobile – in April.

The culinary skills of the multi-Michelin star-winning restaurateur will complement the physical designs of a specially commissioned installation, crafted by the design studio Formafantasma. Visitors will be able to view the work while sampling Tokuyoshi’s unique creations at the Spazio Lexus – Torneria in Milan from April 12 to 17, with a media preview on April 11.

Both Tokuyoshi and Formafantasma duo Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farrasin have been inspired by the styling and performance of the LF-FC concept car, Lexus’s vision of a future limousine powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Embracing Lexus’s theme of “anticipation” for this year’s show, Tokuyoshi focused on the fact that the only waste product produced by the technology is water. He also sought to capture the spirit of Omotenashi, the finest qualities of Japanese hospitality that Lexus references in the design of its luxury vehicles.

He explained: “Looking at the LF-FC concept car and getting to understand how the fuel cell makes use of hydrogen energy, I came to realise how Lexus envisions this as the right technology for the future. So I decided to make water the motif for my tasting experience to create something amazing that can be integrated into Formafantasma’s installation.”

Tokuyoshi brings impressive experience to bear on the project, as one of Milan’s most celebrated chefs and the creative force at the Ristorante Tokuyoshi, where has pioneered his own interpretation of Italian cuisine, the “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”.

The first tasting experience Lexus’s visitors will enjoy is “Buoyancy”, which expresses the energy water has, both to sustain life and to carry objects over vast distances. The dish uses water and a floating herbal leaf to deliver a surprising taste sensation.

Tokuyoshi’s second creation for Lexus is “Transparency”. Here he uses ingredients to produce a dish that can serve as a metaphor for something that might be seen, or remain imperceptible, depending on the viewer’s perspective. What might appear at first to be a clear soup in fact delivers a unique, delightful and unexpected experience for the palate. The concept echoes the way Lexus envisions how the future might deliver experiences that excite and surprise.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presentation will also include a showcase for the work of the 12 finalists in this year’s Lexus Design Award, including prototypes produced by the four leading entries, developed with mentorship from world-renowned designers.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/ @lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent; #LDEncounters

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Title : Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation

Duration : April 12 –April 17 10:00 – 20:00 (Press preview: April 11 10:00 – 18:00)

Venue : Spazio Lexus - Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, Italy

Theme: Anticipation

Exhibits :

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation created by featured designers

The 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2016

Organizer : Lexus International

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma - Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team whose work is characterised by its investigation of experimental materials. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, the designers have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired for the permanent collections of major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi - Chef

Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognised as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped the celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity, Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

ABOUT MILAN DESIGN WEEK

Milan Design Week, the Salone del Mobile, is the world's largest design exhibition. It features numerous events, including furniture, fashion and the work of many world-renowned brands. In 2015 the "Lexus – A Journey of the Senses" exhibit earned high acclaim and received the “Most Entertaining” honour in the Milano Design Awards competition.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Formafantasma creates major new installation as the centrepiece of Lexus’ presentation at the 2016 Milan Design Week (Salone del Mobile)

• “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” interprets core elements of the brand’s design philosophy and the craftsmanship processes applied in the manufacture of its luxury models
• Focus on the influence of Omotenashi, the traditions of Japanese hospitality, and the styling and technical qualities of Lexus’ new hydrogen fuel cell limousine concept, the LF-FC
• The experience will include new culinary designs from Michelin-starred chef Yoji Tokuyoshi, inspired by the natural relationship between hydrogen and water in Lexus’ fuel cell system

The internationally acclaimed design studio Formafantasma has taken inspiration from Lexus’ design philosophy, craftsmanship and advanced technologies to produce an immersive exhibit that will form the centrepiece of the luxury car maker’s presentation at Milan Design Week – the Salone del Mobile – in April.

“Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” will be hosted during the world’s largest design exhibition at the Spazio Lexus – Torneria from April 12 to 17, with a media preview on April 11.

Produced in a unique collaboration with Michelin star-winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi, it will provide a multi-layered experience capturing the spirit of seamless anticipation that forms a central pillar of Lexus design, and of Omontenashi, the traditions of Japanese hospitality that are intrinsic to the way Lexus creates vehicles that address their owners’ every need. It will also interpret the essence of Lexus’ ground-breaking hydrogen fuel cell technology, as showcased in its new LF-FC limousine concept.

Formafantasma’s Amsterdam-based Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farrasin travelled to Japan to witness Lexus’ design and manufacturing techniques first-hand and to learn about the qualities and values that define the brand. Their experiences have directly influenced the design of their exhibit, which is divided into three distinct spaces.

They said: “The wonderful quality of Japanese hospitality is what really impressed us and the part of Japan we love most. Our aim is to express the kindness, hospitality and craftsmanship of Omotenashi in the right way through our installation, and also to capture something of the impressive car production methods which were introduced to.”

The first room in the installation will feature new furniture pieces created by Formafantasma using the same painting and hand-finishing processes Lexus used to achieve the flawless finish of its LF-FC concept car.

“We were greatly inspired by Lexus’ painting process, and the fact the parts of the car you can’t see are treated in just the same way as those you can. The colours are beautiful and their depth is impressive. These might be details, but they are beautiful and highly attractive qualities,” said Formafantasma.

Moving into the second room, visitors will be introduced to an unexpected re-shaping of the LF-FC’s exterior design, conceived as a tribute to the Lexus design team’s constant search for perfection and anticipation of future mobility.

“At first we questioned why a car company would approach us,” said Formafantasma, “because we thought they did things in a very different way from us. But when we were able to see the value they attach to production and design, the more we understood the company and realised the things we have in common.”

The final room in the sequence will contain a new kinetic sculpture, inspired by the hydrogen atom and powered by an application of the fuel cell technology used by Lexus in the LF-FC.

Formafantasma explained: “What we wanted to do was to bring together the forward-looking spirit of anticipation that is central to what design is about and reflect a desire shared with Lexus to create products that are both aesthetically beautiful and sustainable.”

The journey through the installation will be accompanied by new tasting experiences, created by Yoji Tokuyoshi, inspired by the clear water that is the direct by-product of hydrogen fuel cell power generation.

Lexus’ Milan Design Week presentation will also include a showcase for the work of the 12 finalists in this year’s Lexus Design Award, including prototypes produced by the four leading entries, developed with mentorship from world-renowned designers.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/ @lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent; #LDEncounters

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Title : Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation

Duration :  April 12 –April 17 10:00 – 20:00 (Press preview: April 11 10:00 – 18:00)

Venue : Spazio Lexus - Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, Italy

Theme : Anticipation

Exhibits :

 Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation created by featured designers

 The 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2016

Organizer : Lexus International

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma - Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team whose work is characterised by its investigation of experimental materials. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, the designers have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired for the permanent collections of major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi - Chef

Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognised as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped the celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity, Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

ABOUT MILAN DESIGN WEEK

Milan Design Week, the Salone del Mobile, is the world's largest design exhibition. It features numerous events, including furniture, fashion and the work of many world-renowned brands. In 2015 the "Lexus – A Journey of the Senses" exhibit earned high acclaim and received the “Most Entertaining” honour in the Milano Design Awards competition.

ABOUT THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Brussels, Belgium - Lexus will present its “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” exhibit as part of Milan Design Week 2016, the world’s largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile. The exhibit, which will take place at Spazio Lexus - Torneria in Tortona from April 12 to 17, features a unique collaboration between the widely acclaimed design team from Studio Formafantasma and Michelin Star winning chef Yoji Tokuyoshi.

Lexus will offer an unexpected and unmatched encounter that invites visitors to a unique world full of Anticipation. Visitors will discover the essence of Lexus craftsmanship, and behold how Lexus technology and design philosophy translate into an aesthetic and emotional experience. Anticipating societal needs and desires, this exhibit conveys how Lexus imagines what is yet unseen and delivers new forms of surprise and enchantment. Visitors will understand how the brand embraces anticipation to create amazing experiences.

Formafantasma will design and install the exhibit space. The young designers behind the success of this Amsterdam based studio have already earned wide acclaim for their product designs, receiving a nomination for Designer of the Year in the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2014. Similarly, Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is a rising star in the culinary world, renowned for his creativity and innovation. His new restaurant in Milan, Ristorante Tokuyoshi, was awarded a Michelin star just 10 months after opening. The collaboration of these Europe-based, acclaimed creative geniuses is perfectly paired with the aspirations of the “Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation” exhibit to explore new design possibilities.

Formafantasma spoke of the inspiration found when they visited Lexus in Japan. “We were impressed by how Lexus is committed to excellence in craftsmanship, integrity in its production and responsibility in its use of technology. We felt the openness and honesty of the brand come alive as the foundation of anticipation. This led us to the design concept of transparency. Transparency anticipates a future that is open and honest, and that engages society to reach common goals of sustainable behavior and a progressive lifestyle.”

On the subject of transparency, Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi said the following: “Transparency is not just about being clear and lucent. Being transparent is sometimes an invisible thing and makes you think. This builds anticipation, and increases the joy of the reveal. I would like to express this concept through the tasting experience.”

Anticipation is also the theme for this year’s Lexus Design Award; an international design competition to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society and support up-and-coming creators whose work can contribute to shaping a better future. Creative works by the 12 finalists of the Lexus Design Award 2016 will also be displayed at the same venue during Milan Design Week.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/ @lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags: #MilanDesignWeek; #LDAnticipate; #LexusDesignEvent; #LDEncounters

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW

Title

Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation

Duration

April 12 –April 17 10:00 – 20:00 (Press preview: April 11 10:00 – 18:00)

Venue

Spazio Lexus - Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, Italy

Theme

Anticipation

Exhibits

Ø Lexus – An Encounter with Anticipation created by featured designers

Ø The 12 finalist designs of the Lexus Design Award 2016

Organizer

Lexus International

DESIGNER PROFILES

Formafantasma - Designer

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, Italian designers based in Amsterdam, are Formafantasma, an innovative design team with work characterized by experimental materials investigations. Formafantasma explores the relationship between traditional and local culture, critical approaches to sustainability and the significance of objects as cultural conduits.

Bridging craft, industry, object and user, they have forged links between their research-based practice and a wider design industry, and have received commissions from a wide range of renowned fashion and retail brands. Their work has also been published internationally and been acquired to be in the permanent collections in major museums, including the MoMA in New York and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Yoji Tokuyoshi - Chef

Chef Yoji Tokuyoshi is recognized as one of Milan’s most innovative chefs. During almost a decade at Osteria Francescana under the tutelage of Chef Massimo Bottura, Tokuyoshi rapidly rose to the position of sous chef and helped that celebrated restaurant earn its second and third Michelin stars. Setting out on his own in early 2014 he established his own restaurant in Milan featuring uniquely re-interpreted Italian cuisine that Tokuyoshi termed “Cucina Italiana Contaminata”. In just 10 months the new restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. With technique and creativity Tokuyoshi offers an entirely new dining experience that serves very personal food to each individual diner.

ABOUT MILAN DESIGN WEEK

The world's largest design exhibition, also known as Salone Del Mobile, with numerous events including furniture, fashion and many world-renowned brands. The "Lexus – A Journey of the Senses" exhibit in 2015 earned high acclaim and won the “Best Entertaining” award at the “Milano Design Award” competition.

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international design competition that targets up-and-coming creators from around the world. The award seeks to foster the growth of ideas that contribute to society by supporting creators whose works can help to shape a better future. It provides an unique opportunity for four finalists to work with globally recognized designer as a mentor to create prototypes of their designs, and then exhibit them at one of the design calendar's most important events.

ABOUT LEXUS

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a worldwide reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service. Lexus is the hybrid leader among luxury brands, offering hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and premier luxury. The evolution of Lexus is reflected in the progressive designs of its new vehicles. The signature spindle grille, dynamic light treatments and sculptured lines create a distinctive look of luxury for Lexus.

Brussels, Belgium - Lexus International today announced the 12 finalists for the Lexus Design Award2016. First launched in 2013 to foster the growth of ideas that can contribute to society, this international design competition aims to support young up-and-coming creators from around the world.

The fourth annual staging of the Lexus Design Award drew 1,232 entries from 73 countries under the theme “Anticipation”.

A panel of world-renowned designers and creators gathered in November to judge the entries. This year, entrants impressed the judges by creating designs as yet unseen or undefined but likely to be realized in the near future. After extensive discussion and after noting the participants’ passion and willingness to explore the unpredictable, 12 finalist entries were selected for their potential contribution to design innovation.

The following four finalists will produce prototypes of their designs under the mentorship of globally recognized creators:

• AGAR PLASTICITY, by AMAM (Japan), is a project exploring how agar, a gelatinous material obtained from the marine algae, can be used as an environmentally friendly packaging materials alternative to plastic.
• DADA, by Myungsik Jang (Korea), is a block toy which can be freely combined using bands, holes, and pegs to create and realize each child’s imagination.
• Shape Shifters, by Angelena Laura Fenuta (Canada-based Italian designer), is a special cut of garment, applying modular principles to textiles, which allows creating different fashions outfits.

Trace, by STUDIO AYASKAN (UK-based Turkish designers), is a clock that uses a liquid with UV rays and discoloration properties allowing us to visualize the passing time.

Architects and interdisciplinary designers Neri & Hu, along with designer Max Lamb will return as mentors, while designer/architect Elena Manferdini and artist/architect Snarkitecture join as the mentors for the first time.

The four completed prototypes will be featured as part of the Lexus exhibition at this year's Milan Design Week, along with panel presentations of the other eight finalists’ designs. The event will run from April 11th through April 17th at T32 Torneria/Carrozzeria, Via Tortona 32, 20144 (Zona Tortona).

The Grand Prix winner of the Lexus Design Award 2016, selected from the four prototype finalists, is going to be announced on April 11th at the award ceremony.

Further details on the Lexus space at the 2016 Milan Design Week will be announced in mid-February.

More information and pictures can be found on:

Lexus Europe newsroom: http://newsroom.lexus.eu

Lexus Design Award website: www.lexusdesignaward.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexusdesignaward/

@lexusdesignaward

Official hashtags:#LexusDesignAward; #MilanDesignWeek, LDAnticipate

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016 ENTRIES SELECTED FOR PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT:

Title

AGAR PLASTICITY – A POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF AGAR FOR PACKAGING AND MORE

Designer

(Nationality)

AMAM

- Kosuke Araki (Japanese)

- Noriaki Maetani (Japanese)

- Akira Muraoka (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

AGAR PLASTICITY is a project exploring how agar, a gelatinous material obtained from the marine algae, can be used as an environmentally friendly packaging materials alternative to plastic.

Mentors

Max Lamb

Title

DADA

Designer

(Nationality)

Myungsik Jang (Korean)

Resident

South Korea

Description

DADA is a block toy which can be freely combined using bands, holes, and pegs to create and realize each child’s imagination.

Mentor

Neri and Hu

Title

Shape Shifters

Designer

(Nationality)

Angelena Laura Fenuta (Canadian/Italian)

Resident

Canada

Description

Shape Shifters is a special cut of garment, applying modular principles to textiles, which allows creating different outfits.

Mentor

Elena Manferdini

Title

TRACE

Designer

(Nationality)

STUDIO AYASKAN

- Begum Ayaskan (Turkish)

- Bike Ayaskan (Turkish)

Resident

United Kingdom

Description

Trace is a clock that uses a liquid with UV rays and discoloration properties allowing us to visualize the passing time.

Mentor

Snarkitecture

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2016 PANEL EXHIBITS:

Title

aniknown

Designer(Nationality)

Ayami Marugata (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

aniknown is a creation of clothes for six types of animal, choosing the materials according to each one’s feature, behavior and habitat.

Title

Bio-Vide

Designer(Nationality)

Takuma Yamazaki (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

Bio – Vide is a product, such as table and envelope, designed using fallen leaves. It is a visualization of the concept that all things return to earth.

Title

Drop Box

Designer(Nationality)

Ding Dong & Ma Jincai & Peter Luo & Huang Junxi

-Ding Dong(Chinese), Jincai Ma(Chinese),

-Junxi Huang(Chinese), Peter Luo (Chinese)

Resident

China

Description

Drop Box utilizes aerodynamics to allow critical supplies to be airdropped safely in disaster areas without requiring a parachute.

Title

Hexagon

Designer(Nationality)

Chulin Yang (Chinese)

Resident

Australia

Description

Hexagon is an umbrella using magnets which connects with each other to promote human interactions.

Title

PLANTS-SKIN

Designer(Nationality)

Hiroto Yoshizoe (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

PLANTS-SKIN is a planter made of a colored mortar and special ink that visualizes the timing for watering plants.

Title

Project Play

Designer(Nationality)

Oliver Staiano (British)

Resident

United Kingdom

Description

Project Play is a first-of-its-kind lamp powered by wireless technology and realized through the creation of a magnetic rubber.

Title

RESOLUTION OF SOUND LOCATION

Designer(Nationality)

Owls

-Takato Sasaki(Japanese), Yuki Shinohara (Japanese)

Resident

Japan

Description

RESOLUTION OF SOUND LOCATION is a headphone device composed of super directive microphones and speakers that can determine the sound source and adjust volume.

Title

Slow Door

Designer(Nationality)

Deepak Jawahar & Irina Bogdan

-Deepak Jawahar (Indian), Irina Michaela Bogdan (Romanian)

Resident

China

Description

Slow Door is conceived as an assembly of cubic components forming a spatial mechanism that delays the transition through a doorway. It allows us to appreciate the time and space created by the experience.

MENTOR PROFILES:

Neri &Hu / Architects and Interdisciplinary Designers

Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, cofounders of Neri & Hu Design and Research based in Shanghai, have been working on projects around the world which incorporate overlapping design disciplines to create a new paradigm in architecture. In 2014, Wallpaper* announced Neri & Hu as 2014 Designer of The Year. In 2013, they were inducted into the U.S. Interior Design Hall of Fame. Neri & Hu believes strongly that research is a key design tool as each project brings its own unique set of contextual issues. Providing architecture, interior, master planning, graphic and product design services, Neri & Hu recognizes that contemporary problems relating to buildings extend beyond the boundaries of traditional architecture. Rather than starting from a formulaic design, Neri & Hu’s work is anchored in the dynamic interaction of experience, detail, material, form and light.

Max Lamb / Designer

A modern day artificer, Max Lamb is a product and furniture designer whose design sensibility is informed by his extensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques, respect for materials, and skill as a maker. A native of Cornwall, Max has been tinkering with objects and engaging with the physical landscape since he was a small boy; a curiosity that led to an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art and subsequently the foundation of his workshop-based design practice. Max explores both traditional and unconventional materials and processes, blending experimentation and rationale to create furniture and products that are both honest and intelligible. Max teaches Design Products at the Royal College of Art and runs regular design workshops for companies and institutions around the world.

Elena Manferdini / Designer , Architect

Elena Manferdini, founder and owner of Atelier Manferdini, with offices in Italy and California, has completed design, art and architectural projects in the United States, Europe and Asia including the Pavilion of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Her firm has collaborated with such internationally renowned companies as Saworski, Sephora, and BMW and her work has been featured in journals and publications including Elle, Vogue and the New York Times. Currently Graduate Chair at the Southern California Institute of Architecture she exhibits internationally and lectures widely having spoken at MIT, Princeton, Tsinghua University and Bauhaus. She was recently awarded the 2013 COLA Fellowship to support the production of original artwork. In 2011 she received a prestigious annual grant from United States Artists (USA) and her Blossom design for Alessi received the Good Design Award.

Snarkitecture / Artists and Architects

In 2008 Daniel Arsham and Alex Mustonen founded Snarkitecture, a collaborative and experimental practice operating in territories between art and architecture. Sharing a mutual interest in the intersection of art and architecture since their student days together at Cooper Union in New York, their first commission was for Dior Homme. Deriving its name from Lewis Carroll's fanciful poem "The Hunting of the Snark", Snarkitecture designs permanent, architectural scale projects and functional objects with new and imaginative purposes, creating moments of wonder and interaction that allow people to engage directly with the surrounding environment. Transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, Snarkitecture makes architecture perform the unexpected.

Lexus has won the "Best Entertaining" award at the Milano Design Award Competition for its "Lexus — A Journey of the Senses" exhibit at Milan Design Week, the world's largest design event. Lexus is the first automaker to win this award.

Now in its 5th year, the Milano Design Award, organized by cultural association Elita, is the only official award dedicated to the best installations of Milan Design Week. The Milano Design Award recognizes the best overall exhibits as well as individual winners in five categories (Entertaining, Tech, Sound, Impact, E-commerce). The winners are chosen among all exhibitors present at the Milan Design Week in the various districts throughout the city.

The "Best Entertaining" award highlights the project that best "succeeds in involving the audience in a particular dimension of recreational and/or cultural entertainment".

"Lexus — A Journey of the Senses" offered visitors a wide-ranging and exciting sensory experience, underlining Lexus as a brand placing great emphasis on human senses throughout its design processes. The exhibit consisted of 3 distinct zones: a sound and light installation featuring a special execution of the latest Lexus concept car, the LF-SA, a room dedicated to the finalists and winner of the Lexus Design Award competition, and a succession of three cocoons constructed of an intricate wooden lattice work, titled "Rain" "Wood" and "Earth".

The exhibit was designed by two internationally acclaimed artists: space designer Philippe Nigro and chef Hajime Yoneda, who added a tasting experience to the sensory journey. The fruit of this collaborative approach from very different artists created a truly unique experience that left a deep impression on many visitors.

The exhibit ran from April 14 to 19 at La Torneria, Via Tortona 32, Milan, and attracted 50,000 visitors over 6 days.

A two-minute interactive, virtual walkthrough video of the exhibit is now available on the Lexus International website, at the following address: http://www.lexus-int.com/lexus-design/virtual-journey/.

For more information and pictures, visit http://newsroom.lexus.eu/newsroom/526/1162/lexus-brand

Official Hashtags: #LexusDesignAward, #MilanDesignWeek

DESIGNERS' PROFILES

Philippe Nigro - Space Designer

Philippe Nigro, was born and educated in France and divides his time between his homeland and Italy. Nigro's works are characterized by a mixture of prospective research and a pragmatic appreciation of the manufacturers with whom he works. This knowledge allows him to navigate among projects of different designs and scales. Some objects he designed are in museum collections including his "Twin-Chairs" and "T.U. table" at Centre Pompidou. He also collaborates with a number of prestigious international brands. In 2014, Nigro was named Designer of the Year by Maison & Objet in Paris, and was commissioned to create the scenography for the 7th edition of the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.

Con il progetto SENSE-WEAR, Emanuela Corti e Ivan Parati trionfano convincendo la giuria all'unanimitàLEXUS è lieta di annunciare che il progetto SENSE-WEAR, degli italiani Emanuela Corti e Ivan Parati, è stato nominato Vincitore del Grand Prix nell'ambito del concorso Lexus Design Award 2015. Il premio è stato consegnato al vincitore da Tokuo Fukuichi, Presidente di Lexus International, nel corso di una cerimonia svoltasi oggi presso lo Spazio Lexus in occasione della Milano Design Week.

SENSE-WEAR degli italiani Emanuela Corti e Ivan Parati (Gruppo: Caravan) è una collezione di capi e accessori progettata per affinare la consapevolezza dei sensi. Alcuni aiutano ad attenuare le sensazioni fisiche, altri le amplificano, consentendo a chi li indossa di sperimentare il mondo sensoriale da una prospettiva nuova. I designer sono stati affiancati da Robin Hunicke, in qualità di mentore, nello sviluppo di un prototipo esposto presso lo Spazio Lexus a Milano.

Il Lexus Design Award è giunto quest'anno alla sua terza edizione e per la prima volta tra i finalisti viene decretato un vincitore assoluto, ossia il Vincitore del Grand Prix.

Il tema del Lexus Design Award 2015 è quello dei 'Sensi'. I sensi sono intrinsecamente legati alla vita perché ci consentono di percepire il mondo. Questo complesso tema, che abbraccia la vista, l'udito, il tatto, l'olfatto e il gusto, offre una vasta gamma di possibilità ed è particolarmente rilevante per Lexus, poiché l'intera esperienza di guida ruota intorno ai sensi: dalla vista, appagata dal design del veicolo, all'udito, soddisfatto dal suono della perfetta messa a punto del motore, fino alla sensazione trasmessa dal lusso della pelle dei sedili.

Durante il periodo di presentazione delle candidature, concluso il 3 novembre 2014, sono pervenuti in totale 1.171 progetti provenienti da 72 paesi. I candidati erano invitati ad esplorare i cinque sensi in modi inediti. Per quanto concerne i criteri di valutazione, sono state giudicate la comprensione e la capacità di interpretare in modo unico il tema del concorso, la peculiarità della prospettiva e l'originalità del concept di design proposto.

Dopo un'attenta valutazione da parte di una giuria composta da designer e creativi di fama mondiale (*), sono stati selezionati 12 finalisti. Quattro di loro hanno avuto la straordinaria opportunità di creare un prototipo del loro progetto, con l'aiuto di rinomati designer: Robin Hunicke, Arthur Huang, Max Lamb e Neri & Hu. Ciascuno di loro ha personalmente scelto il finalista a cui fare da mentore, sulla base dell'unicità, dell'originalità, dell'attinenza al tema e dell'effettiva fattibilità del prototipo.

Tra questi quattro prototipi finalisti è stato scelto il Vincitore del Lexus Design Award Grand Prix, dopo una presentazione finale dei lavori alla giuria tenutasi il 13 aprile a Milano.

Alain Uyttenhoven, responsabile di Lexus Europa e presentatore della cerimonia di premiazione, ha commentato: