Image Courtesy of WOW
The two Tokyo-based design studios "CURIOSITY" and "TONERICO:INC." hold an Exhibition "TOKYO WONDER" at Milan Salone 2008 from 16 to 20 of April at La Posteria gallery, located near the historic Castello Sforzesco. one of most well-known galleries in Milan TONERICO:INC. consistently presentsed conceptual works at Milano salone including "MEMENTO", which received the 1st prize in the Design Report Award in 2005. CURIOSITY's renowned work made its debut at Milano Salone. CURIOSITY also launched a line of products with Agape, the Italian bath product company, at Milano Salone 2008. The visual creative studio "W0W" held a collaborative exhibition with the installation "TOKYO WONDER" - an original vision of Tokyo fantasy and technology.
In addition, a part of the exhibition was displayed at Anteprima boutique in Milan for a limited time following the Milano Salone.
CONTENTS
The entrance is a fantastic white tunnel (SNOW *) as if infinite snow is falling, which then open up to reveal hammock chairs (WATER DROP) inspired by drops of water. After passing through the white world, a contrasting dark space will appear. Light lights (LIGHT-LIGHT) will be floating and bouncing in the dark. When getting closer, the rhythm of dance changes and they can be touched and manipulated. A light leads you to a Tokyo nightscape (LIGHTS AND SHADOWS) in the next room. The symbolic lights and shadows express the beauty and chaos of Tokyo.
SNOW by TONERICO:INC.
An installation that imagines the fragility of snow using layers of fabrics with acid etch technique.
The white snow is spread over from the bottom of the winter sky. Lot of feelings are born whenever we see the snow. The world looks quiet and beautiful when covered in white. This installation represents the fragility of snow - overlapping itself infinitely
Image Courtesy of TONERICO:INC
WATER DROP by TONERICO:INC.
A hammock chair "WATER DROP" representing a drop of water from outer space.
A drop is a small volume of liquid, bounded almost completely by free surfaces. Water is one of the most common chemical substances that is essential to all known forms of life. We created the hammock chair "WATER DROP" that quotes the image of a drop of water in zero gravity.
Image Courtesy of TONERICO:INC
about TONERICO:INC
Launched 2002 by Hiroshi Yoneya, Ken Kimizuka and Yumi Masuko. Focus: architecture,Interior, furniture and industrial design. Tonerico exhibits conceptual work around the world and has received several awards including: 2005 Salone Satellite Design Report Award-1st prize,2006 JCD Design Award-Gold prize,Good Design Award. Issey Miyake and Naoto Fukasawa commissioned Tonerico to join the exhibition at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in 2007. Tonerico collaborates with manufactures such as arflex Japan, Cassina ixc., MUJI and Panasonic etc.http://www.tonerico-inc.com/
Image Courtesy of WOW
LIGHTS & SHADOWS / by W0W
Tokyo night view has chaotic beauty, which you won’t find in other cities. Refined the peculiar beauty of scenery, express it in light and shadow.
words by WOW
WOW exhibited its latest work ‘LIGHTS & SHADOWS’ - a motion graphic work that shows the chaotic beauty of a Tokyo night view. This work employed 3 video projectors to create an immense 8 x 2 meter wide view of a Tokyo nightscape. For ‘LIGHT & SHADOWS’ we invested a lot of time in developing a new system that synchronizes 3 computers to project the images. At the venue, everything worked perfectly thanks to the wonderful assistance setting everything up from the local staff in Milan.
Traditionally, Milano Salone is a furnishing accessories exhibition. So Tokyo Wonder’s combination of product design, installation and visual design stood out as a very unique exhibition style for the event and therefore had a powerful impact on the audience. Soon after the opening, ‘Tokyo Wonder’ was the talk of the town and it quickly developed into the ‘must see’ event of this year’s Salone. We were delighted to see many people repeatedly returning to visit the exhibition and journalists and designers from all over the world excitedly proclaiming it the best exhibition of this year’s Salone.
For those who didn't get a chance to see it, ‘Tokyo Wonder’ is being exhibited at Anteprima on Corso Como in Milan until the end of May.
It was an important opportunity for us to exhibit a visual design work at a prestigious international event such as Milano Salone. We would like to thank everyone who helped us put it together.
We really appreciate it! We enjoyed presenting to everyone the diverse possibilities for visual design itself and Tokyo Wonder’s success has given us a lot of encouragement for the future. We are very happy you could be a part of it.
Image Courtesy of WOW
Image Courtesy of WOW
Image Courtesy of WOW
Image Courtesy of WOW
about WOW
With design studio bases in Tokyo and Sendai, W0W have been designing and directing commercial films, music video and video installation works for 10 years. Besides client works, every year W0W also creates original works such as short movies, interactive media and more. In July 2007, they published an art book "W0W 10" to celebrate W0W's 10th anniversary. In September 2007, they exhibited "W0W 10" in "TENT LONDON".In summer 2008, they are planning to establish W0W LONDON. http://www.w0w.co.jp/
LIGHT-LIGHT / by Curiosity
Image Courtesy of Curiosity
THE INSTALLATION IS DESIGNED BASED ON THE IDEA OF DESIGN FREED FROM INFORMATION, HISTORY AND REFERENCE, A PLACE OF PRESERVED TIME AND APPARENT EMPTINESS.
DESIGN IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION, THE CHALLENGE OF “LIGHT-LIGHT” IS TO CREATE A CONNECTION WITH A MINIMUM OF MEANS. THIS LANGUAGE SHOULD TRANSCEND AGE, CULTURE, HISTORY AND GENRE USING TECHNOLOGY BUT MAKE IT DISAPPEAR, ENCLOSED IN A SPACE THAT WOULD ULTIMATLY VANISH.
LIGHT IS A FANTASTIC SUBSTANCE THAT WE CAN IMAGINE BUT NOT CAPTURED, IT IS OPULENCE BORN FROM SIMPLICITY, AN INTERPLAY OF INTELLECT AND EMOTION. “LIGHT-LIGHT” IS A CHOREGRAPHY OF LIGHT PERFORMED BY A BALLET OF FREE MINDS.
“LIGHT-LIGHT” IS AN EXPRESSION OF JAPANESEE ESTHETIC WHERE THE OBJECT IS NOT OF CONCERN BUT THE EFFECT, THE EXISTANCE OR NON-EXISTENCE ITSELF IS THE MAIN FOCUS, THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN REALITY AND THE PERCEPTION OF REALITY BY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
“LIGHT-LIGHT” GIVES THE FREEDOM TO THE VISITOR TO BE PART OF THE INSTALLATION AS ACTOR, ABLE TO INTERACT, PLAY, BRAKE AND RECREATE. IT PROJECTS YOUR OWN DESIRE AND DREAM INTO A VISION WHERE EVERYTHING SEEMS POSSIBLE. “LIGHT-LIGHT” IS A PLACE OF DISCOVERY EACH INDIVIDUAL CREATE ITS OWN HISTORY WHEN ENCOUNTER THE INSTALLATION, FROM SURPRISE TO CURIOSITY, FROM IMPACT TO INTIMACY. “LIGHT-LIGHT” IS A DESIGN LIBERATED FROM SHAPE AND MATERIALITY ONLY THE EXPERIENCE REMAINS.
Image Courtesy of Curiosity
about Curiosity
Established in Tokyo by French Designer, Gwenael Nicolas in 1998 after many years collaborating with Issey Miyake and Water Studio for interior and product design. The range of works includes architecture, interior to product design representative in projects such as C-1(studio and house), Tag Heuer shops, Pleats Please Issey Miyake, Sony Showroom, Nissan Motor Show Booth, Uniqlo Kiosk, Nintendo Gameboy Advance, etc. A line of product will be also launched with Agape at Milano Salone 2008.http://www.curiosity.jp
credits of CURIOSITY×TONERICO [TOKYO WONDER] exhibition
PLACE: LA POSTERIA, VIA GIUSEPPE SACCHI N5/7M, MILANO
SPONSORED BY COLOR KINETICS JAPAN INC. / NAKAGAWA CHEMICAL, INC. / ONE BY ONE CO.,LTD. / SOGO DESIGN CO.,LTD. / TOLI CO.,LTD. / USHIO SPAX INC.
LIGHTING: YUKO YAMASHITA, Y2 Lighting Design
SOUND: MASATO HATANAKA / PARTY: ANTEPRIMA
