Lexus returned this April to the world's largest design event, Milan Design Week, with an immersive art experience called, Time, a glimpse of next-generation mobility and its infinite possibilities.
The experience housed two exhibitions showcasing the Lexus electric vehicle, LF-ZC, a concept exploring how the synergy of hardware and software can redefine the individual driving experience. The exhibition, anchored by the LF-ZC, explored how that synergy helps drivers anticipate the future, all the while showing Lexus’ commitment to a world where carbon neutrality and luxury can coexist.
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.
The installation features work 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).
Part one of the interactive installation in Milan was inspired by the future of personal mobility that can be tailored to individuals by software that anticipates their needs. It was designed by Hideki Yoshimoto of Tangent who imagined a single line of two-meter-tall interactive sculptures completely uniform in appearance, but that 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 LF-ZC introduces new electrified experiences, including elevated driving dynamics, uncompromised design, and exclusive services. It is the epitome of the Lexus promise, which is to craft cars that enrich the lives of its discerning customers.
To accompany the installation, musician Keiichiro Shibuya composed a sound installation piece, "Abstract Music," to complement the exhibition concept. Real-time generations of sound images programmed from sound data moved through the 31 speakers that were installed throughout the venue. As sounds are endlessly evolving, this ensured that no two moments were ever the same.
The second installation, by Marjan van Aubel, expressed Lexus' commitment to advancing the innovation of mobility by celebrating the potential of energy and software, and 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.
Named for the time it takes sunlight to reach the Earth’s surface, 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds imagined the car positioned among holographic trees and a reflective seating area, set against a backdrop of an interactive sun.
In addition, the installation used natural sounds such as the rustling of bamboo, an auditory representation derived from the bamboo material used in the interior of the LF-ZC.
The founder of the international Tangent Design and Innovation brand, Yoshimoto was the winner of the first Lexus Design Award in 2013 while still a student at the Royal College of Art in London.
Yoshimoto specializes in the progressive fusion of design and engineering and his winning lighting design, "INAHO," has been invited to participate in exhibitions around the world. 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.
A solar designer from the Netherlands, Marjan explores innovations that combine solar power and technology for a sustainable future. Her self-titled studio engages in creative activities to incorporate solar energy into daily life, and she has earned numerous awards.
She continues to create a future that fuses sustainability, design, and solar technology, and through solar design, she aims to bring about lasting change, integrating solar power generation into lives through buildings and objects, making it more accessible. Her passion aligns with the Lexus story, which aims to enhance the experiential value of BEVs as a familiar element in people’s lives, leading to an eventually carbon neutral society.
Based in Tokyo and Paris, Keiichiro Shibuya questions the boundaries between technology, life, and death in his musical work. A graduate of the Tokyo University of the Arts, he boasts a wide range of genres and expressions that span from cutting-edge electronic music to piano solos, operas, film scores, and sound installations.
In 2012, he presented the first Vocaloid opera THE END starring Hatsune Miku, with costumes by Marc Jacobs. In 2018, he unveiled the Android Opera® Scary Beauty, featuring a humanoid android equipped with AI conducting an orchestra while singing. And in 2021, his opera Super Angels held its world premiere at the New National Theatre.
Shibuya has also worked on numerous film scores, and in 2020, won the Music Award at the 75th Mainichi Film Awards and the 30th Japan Film Critics’ Awards for the movie Midnight Swan.
