Luxury automaker Lexus leaves an impact during Milan Design Week 2025, unveiling four captivating and interactive exhibits.
Lexus has returned to Milan Design Week 2025 with an awe-inspiring installation titled "A-Un". This interactive art piece, housed in a pitch-black room, showcases a vast screen shaped like the LF-ZC's driver display [1]. The installation is a testament to Lexus' commitment to blending heritage, design, and innovation.
"A-Un" is inspired by the Japanese concept of "Aun", representing harmonious, complementary duality. This concept is embodied in the installation's design, creating an immersive, contemplative experience [3][4]. The installation's lattice, made of over 35km of bamboo fibre thread, is used to project CGI animations.
The installation's relationship with Lexus' Black Butterfly next-generation cockpit control device is evident. The Black Butterfly, a cutting-edge in-car interface technology, symbolises a new paradigm for human-centered automotive technology [3][4]. "A-Un" translates this vision into a physical and sensory art form, making the abstract interface concept tangible and experiential.
Takashi Watanabe, president of Lexus International, emphasises Lexus' connection to human-centric design and its unique identity. He believes that collaborations with young designers give birth to new values and are crucial for Lexus [6][7].
Notable installations at previous Milan Design Weeks include those by Philippe Nigro in 2015, Formafantasma in 2016, and Sota Ichikawa in 2018 [8]. This year, Northeastern University's display, 'Our Energy Nexus', uses real-time pollution data from Milan to create a visual representation of the city's air quality.
The Lexus Design Award, which was last held in 2023, is set to be relaunched this summer, with a new showcase scheduled for Milan Design Week 2026 [5]. Lexus has commissioned three data-based presentations, "Discover Together", as a legacy project from the Lexus Design Award. The teams involved in "Discover Together" are Bascule Inc, Northeastern University, and Lexus's in-house design team [9].
"A-Un" was created in collaboration with creative agency SIX and design studio STUDEO [10]. The installation's quiet, carbon-neutral sanctuary with a pulsing presence further underlines Lexus' emphasis on sustainability and tranquility amidst technological advancement [2]. This synergy at Milan Design Week 2025 showcases Lexus' efforts to redefine luxury car interiors by merging tradition and future technology in both aesthetic and functional forms.
Sources:
- Lexus LF-Z Electrified debuts at Milan Design Week 2021
- Lexus Milan Design Week 2025: A Quiet, Carbon-Neutral Sanctuary
- Lexus Explores the Future of Luxury with "A-Un" at Milan Design Week 2025
- Lexus Unveils the Black Butterfly, a Next-Generation Cockpit Control Device
- Lexus Design Award 2023 Winners Announced
- Takashi Watanabe: The Future of Luxury is Not Defined by Physical Objects
- Lexus' Japanese Design Team Creates Interactive Project "Discover Your Butterfly"
- Milan Design Week 2025: Lexus Returns with Bold, Immersive Installations
- Lexus Announces Three Data-Based Presentations as Legacy Projects from the Lexus Design Award
- Lexus Collaborates with Creative Agency SIX and Design Studio STUDEO for Milan Design Week 2025
- The immersive art piece, "A-Un," created by Lexus in collaboration with SIX and STUDEO at Milan Design Week 2025, demonstrates their commitment to merging technology and lifestyle, particularly in the automotive industry, by handsomely blending innovation with tradition.
- The Black Butterfly, Lexus' next-generation cockpit control device, symbolizes a new era of human-centered automotive technology in the finance sector, as it is integrated with the "A-Un" installation, creating a physical and experiential representation of future in-car interface technology.
- Reflecting Lexus' dedication to sustainability and tranquility amid technological advancement in the transportation industry, the "A-Un" installation serves as a quiet, carbon-neutral sanctuary that underscores their efforts to redefine luxury car interiors by seamlessly melding tradition with future technology in both aesthetic and functional forms.
