Lexus presents Time at the 2024 Milan Design Week

Press kit linked here

Milan, Italy (April 15, 2024) - Lexus has unveiled its installation Time at the world's largest design event, Milan Design Week, in Milan, Italy. 

Located in Art Point and Art Garden at the Superstudio Più in the Tortona design district, a hub for global creative convergence, ​ the exhibit is open until April 21, 2024.

Chief Branding Officer, Simon Humphries, relates that, “Since its inception, Lexus has continually challenged the conventions of automotive luxury, striving to expand the horizons in both products and services to create unique, expectation-surpassing experiences for each customer. The theme of the installation, “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 cherishes a human-centered philosophy, and we believe that providing people with unique experiences in an age where technology will allow cars to anticipate and evolve with the customer, begins with exploring the relationship between people and time itself."

The Time installation explores Lexus' vision of a future with infinite possibilities enabled by technology. Software that anticipates the needs of the user has the power to continuously expand and evolve to produce unique experiential value for each individual. It also expresses Lexus' resolve to redefine luxury in synergy with carbon neutrality, exploring how energy and software can advance mobility innovation.

This year Lexus is presenting an installation of works by two designers who have drawn inspiration from the LF-ZC, a concept model that explores the possibilities for a next-generation Lexus battery electric vehicle (BEV).

At Art Point, Hideki Yoshimoto/Tangent presents Beyond the Horizon, expressing a world of next-generation mobility that evolves infinitely through software. Collaborating with musician Keiichiro Shibuya, the work immerses visitors in a world of light and sound. 

At Art Garden, the exhibit, 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds by Marjan van Aubel, incorporates solar design and technology in pursuit of a carbon-neutral future.

This interactive installation is inspired by a future where the personal experiential value of mobility can be tailored to each individual, a vehicle constantly updating its software and transcending the traditional role as a means of transportation through a digital dialogue with customers.

A single line of two-meter tall interactive sculptures are completely uniform in appearance, yet emit light in their own unique ways, evoking different expressions. In the center of the installation, as a symbol of exploration and innovation for the future of mobility, stands the Lexus next-generation battery EV concept LF-ZC.

The blending of time-honored craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology is one of the core themes of this installation. Utilizing the rich heritage of Japanese Echizen washi paper and its 1,500 years of history, the installation boasts an expansive screen stretching 4 meters high and 30 meters wide, illustrating the ever-changing vistas of the horizon. This washi is infused with bamboo fibers, a nod to the material used in the LF-ZC, and symbolizes the brand’s commitment to sustainability and refined luxury. This integration also signifies Lexus’ reverence for Japan’s traditional materials and masterful craftsmanship while forging ahead into the future.

Keiichiro Shibuya has composed the sound installation piece "Abstract Music" to complement the exhibition concept. Sound images generated in real time through programming from a vast amount of sound data move around among the 31 speakers installed throughout the venue. No two moments are ever the same, as the sounds endlessly evolve. The changing of the horizon from dawn to dusk, with LF-ZC as the guide to the future, the ten sculptures, and "Abstract Music" - all come together to create a unique, personalized, and immersive experience.

This work expresses Lexus' commitment to advancing the innovation of mobility by celebrating the potential of energy and software while aiming for the coexistence of carbon neutrality and luxury. The installation, depicting a to-scale representation of the concept model LF-ZC, utilizes solar power, harnessing energy from Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cells and storing it in built-in batteries. It is equipped with motion sensors that respond movements of visitors, creating an immersive light and sound experience. The aim of this 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 sunlight to reach the Earth’s surface, 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds imagines the car positioned among holographic trees and a reflective seating area, set against a backdrop of an interactive sun. Created with 16 of van Aubel’s Sunne solar lamps arranged in a circle, the sun changes color when visitors touch a sensor that is made from a new bamboo fabric developed by Lexus, sending a signal that triggers a personal sunrise for each visitor.

In addition, the installation uses natural sounds such as the rustling of bamboo, which is an auditory representation derived from the bamboo material used in the interior of the LF-ZC, the inspiration for this work.

Exhibition Information