A State of Complete Coexistence

Milan Design Week 2018 was held in April. It's a festival of design, featuring furniture and more.

Among the highlights are the large-scale, conceptual installations scattered throughout the city, known as Fuori Salone, which always generate buzz.

The theme for Lexus's 2018 installation was "LIMITLESS CO-EXISTENCE." Lexus's own translation is "A State of Complete Coexistence."

Upon seeing the main installation, created by space designer Sota Ichikawa, one truly understands the message.

In a nearly pitch-black space, approximately 12,000 threads hang down. A single light source illuminates them, causing each thread to glow when struck by a laser beam.

This represents the main theme, "CO-" (which Lexus translates as "kyo," meaning "together"), a prefix found in words like collaboration and coordination.

"We are embodying an ideal world where individuals can 'co-exist' while remaining the center of their own worlds, through the power of design."

This statement is from the press release provided by Lexus. In the same venue, there was also a stool designed by Ichikawa, featuring over 315 legs, meticulously designed so that a single light source illuminates all of them.

I overheard a conversation among Italian visitors, something like, "This is why it's so interesting!" It left a strong impression on me.

The Importance of Milan Design Week

"We've been participating in Milan Design Week since 2005. We were the first automotive brand to do so (though there are more now)."

This is according to Yoshihiro Sawada, President of Lexus International, whom I interviewed in the Cavallerizze section of the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, the venue.

"Design Week is a unique place where designers and design press gather, and ideas presented here are broadcast to the world. While it's difficult to convey the message when designing cars, we've focused on the importance of this event."

Sawada himself, being from a design background, has always focused on the importance of design. Lexus has also promoted the concept of "L-finesse" from an early stage.

This combines "L" for "Leading edge" with "finesse," meaning "subtlety of human sensibility and exquisite craftsmanship."

Lexus explains that this aims for a design that is simple yet profound, conscious of the harmony between cutting-edge technology and Japanese aesthetics.

The Role of Design: Presenting New Technologies and Materials in Novel Ways

Lexus has presented installations in collaboration with creators such as Junya Ishigami and Kazuyo Sejima (2005), Tokujin Yoshioka (2006), and nendo (2008). Sawada states that these were all intended to convey Lexus's philosophy.

"Luxury brands have stories. Lexus also has a background in craftsmanship called L-finesse. Milan Design Week has been a good venue for conveying that."

Sawada says.

"We emphasize design because we believe it's necessary for creating a luxury lifestyle. Design is the means by which we leverage new technologies for our customers."

He continued.

"We believe the role of design in cars is to present new technologies and materials in novel ways. The question is whether customers will properly receive it. It's a means of establishing communication between the customer and the brand."

An installation was also exhibited this time, connecting the technology used to illuminate the 12,000 hanging threads and over 300 stool legs with cars.

A single dot appears on a monitor screen, and from it, numerous lines emerge to draw a flat plane.

As you watch, the base transforms from a flat surface into a hemispherical shape. Then, the "Lexus LF-1 Limitless" appears.

It is explained as an expression of the theme, "Enabling a comprehensive view from a single perspective."

It felt like a logic that connects the technology, which combines precise algorithmic calculations with laser beams, to the idea that cars are a means for individuals to establish their 'self' within society, emphasizing the importance of each person.

The high-quality installations at Milan Design Week ultimately connect to Lexus's craftsmanship. It was a compelling exhibition.