This year, Salone del Mobile – Milan’s much-loved Design Week – provided its visitors with a fresh and exciting outlook on future trends. It pushes the boundaries of creativity and fosters freedom of expression. No wonder then, that Lexus chose the event to showcase its cutting-edge concept of luxury through an exhibition called Time. The show consists of two fascinating installations: BEYOND THE HORIZON, a magnificent immersive space created by Hideki Yoshimoto with original music by Keiichiro Shibuya, and 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds, an outdoor solar sculpture made by Marjan van Aubel.
“I had the theme of the horizon in my head, so I created a simple environment, just ocean and sky,” underlines Hideki Yoshimoto, founder of the Tangent studio, focusing on exploration and personalization. “BEYOND THE HORIZON is a light sculpture made of identical panels inspired by washi – a traditional type of Japanese paper handcrafted using vegetable fibers. When the panels light up, you can see that their internal structures are all different. Personalization, after all, is about identical things evolving in different ways.” In the background, the engaging music of composer Keiichiro Shibuya plays. “I created a soundscape composed of two musical layers, one of which is random so that no sound is ever repeated. Randomness is often present in human nature, so people watching the installation end up hearing unique music, close to their essence.”
Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel created an interactive device activated by solar energy through organic photovoltaic plates which comes to life at unexpected intervals. “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds is the time it takes for light to travel from the Sun to the Earth,” she said. “Respecting the environment is a central concept in the new vision of art, as in the journey that leads to a redefinition of mobility. The world will be a better place when we all will become aware of that.”
Intertwining sustainability and tradition, Time is a reflection on the endless possibilities enabled by technology in the years to come, particularly by the revolutionary power of SDVs – Software Defined Vehicles. Both installations incorporated indeed a Lexus LF-ZC, a full electric sedan concept car which shows how the synergy between hardware and software may redefine the interaction between man and car, forging the future of human-centered design.
“I placed the car at the center, represented by the luminous sculptures,” said Hideki Yoshimoto, winner of the Lexus Design Award in 2013 while still a student at the Royal College of Art in London. “The idea is a leader showing the way to his followers: a journey towards a new era.” For Marjan van Aubel, whose work features a three-dimensional reproduction of the LF-ZC, the human component is linked to respect for nature, whereas technology aims for a continuous evolution: these are the key elements of SDVs.
“Software can improve the entire on-board experience, creating custom made luxury,” recalls Koichi Suga, General Manager of Design at Lexus. “We want to facilitate the synergy between human and technology, which should not be scary for anybody. It is necessary to produce cars that are both cutting-edge and functional, but our final goal remains to create excitement.” Craftsmanship and hi-tech combined together, like in the exhibition: a harmonious balance, inside which visitors were able to immerse themselves, discovering how Human-Centered Design can help build the next generation of mobility.
