• Installation by Suchi Reddy inspired by the curves and craftsmanship of the Lexus Electrified Sport, expressing the brand’s ethos of sustainability, innovation and design excellence
• Lexus space at Milan Design Week also to host presentation of prototypes created by the four winners of the 2023 Lexus Design Award
• Lexus exhibits taking place at Superstudio, via Tortona 27, from April 17 to 23

Lexus will return to Milan Design Week this year with a new installation by acclaimed New York artist and architect Suchi Reddy. ‘Shaped by Air’ will form the centrepiece of its presence at the world-leading celebration of international design. The occasion will also see the public unveiling of the prototypes created by the four winners in the 2023 Lexus Design Award.

Reddy, the founder of Reddymade Architecture and Design, drew inspiration from the curves and craftsmanship of the Lexus Electrified Sport coupe. She has produced an elegant and airy artwork that expresses the sustainability, innovation and design excellence that are fundamental to the Lexus brand ethos. ‘Shaped by Air’ celebrates the collaborators’ shared commitment to human-centred, carbon-neutral and impeccably crafted design. Its Milan unveiling follows its premiere at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami), during Miami Art and Design Week 2022.

Reddy has re-imagined her installation specifically for the context of its appearance at Milan’s Superstudio from April 17 to 23. The work presents a to-scale interpretation of the Lexus Electrified Sport, shaped by light and with vibrant green leaf-like cut-out shapes that suggest movement through nature. For the Milan presentation, these forms will be suspended from the ceiling like a mobile, calling to mind shapes in the vehicle’s design and the cut-outs of Henri Matisse.

Reddy commented: “Lexus’ continued commitment to innovation – and its support of an artistic approach that is a confluence of art and design – led me to envision this immersive experience as both a sculpture and a spatial experience.”

The sculpture is partially made of recycled/re-used consumer materials and conveys a sense of movement. At first glance, the pieces appear abstract, but as the viewer moves closer, they reveal the outline of a car. Reddy, whose design ethos has been described as a “form follows feeling” approach, has carefully calibrated the installation’s environment to make it welcoming, contemplative and enveloping. The aim is to give visitors to the exhibition a sense of walking through a forest with rustling leaves underfoot. The event will also reflect Lexus’ famous Omotenashi hospitality with an elevated lounge for rest and reflection.

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD WINNERS’ PROTOTYPES

A gallery alongside the ‘Shaped by Air’ installation will display the prototype works created by the four winners in the Lexus Design Award 2023, design concepts which capture Lexus’ belief that design can help deliver positive change for the world. Now in its 11^th year, the award celebrates and nurtures new creative talent from around the globe. This year’s winners, selected from 2,068 entries from 63 different countries, are Pavels Hedström (Sweden, based in Denmark), Jiaming Liu (China), Temporary Office, (Vincent Lai, Singapore and Douglas Lee, Canada, based in USA) and Kyeongho Park and Yejin Heo (Republic of Korea). Further details about the winners and their design concepts are available at the Lexus Europe newsroom.

The brief for this year’s competition invited designers to submit concepts that anticipate the challenge of the future, while articulating the Lexus brand principles of Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate and enhancing people’s happiness. This year, Lexus is hosting a People’s Choice award, where members of the public can vote for their favourite among the design concepts. The voting will be open in April, both to visitors to the presentation and to those viewing the works online.

Brian Bolin, Lexus Head of Global Marketing, said: “We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with the inimitable Suchi Reddy and see the Lexus Electrified Sport come to life alongside the work of our Lexus Design Award winners. Suchi’s commitment to designing for a better tomorrow captures the innovative spirit of the award and we cannot imagine a more perfect synergy for this year’s presentation.”

Lexus has created compelling, immersive experience for visitors at Milan Design Week since 2005, partnering with such world-renowned creatives as Philippe Nigro, Neri Oxman, Sou Fujinoto, Rhizomatics and Germane Barnes, among others.

Event details

Dates:   Press Day April 17, 2pm to 9pm; Public Days April 18 to 23, 11am to 9pm

Venue: Superstudio Più, Via Tortona, 27, 20144 Milan, Italy

Exhibits: 'Shaped by Air’ installation by Suchi Reddy and prototype works by the winners of the Lexus Design Award 2023

About Suchi Reddy

Suchi Reddy founded Reddymade in 2002 with a human-centric approach to design, dedicated to celebrating diversity and equality, as well as addressing the economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts of her work on both the user and the planet.

Reddy is the 2022 Walton Critic at the Catholic University of America School of Architecture. In 2019, she was appointed the Plym Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, Champaign–Urbana, where her work focused on contemporary architectural experience through the lens of neuroaesthetics, neurophenomenology, and sensory design. Reddy has presented and lectured on the firm’s work at numerous venues including The Salk Institute for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture’s annual conference, the University of Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin.  She sits on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space, Storefront for Art and Architecture and Madame Architect; and she is a member of the Dean’s Board of Advisors at Detroit Mercy School of Architecture + Community Development.

Reddymade has received numerous awards for design excellence, including being recognised by the American Institute of Architects and NYCxDesign. Regularly featured in print and online media, the work of Reddymade actively contributes to a social and cultural discourse that explores how neuroaesthetics and designing for wellbeing positively impact all people.