Lexus collaborates with Marjan van Aubel for Miami Art & Design Week 2023

Lexus announces a new collaboration with acclaimed Dutch solar designer Marjan van Aubel to create a sun-powered installation to be displayed in the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) sculpture garden during Miami Art & Design Week 2023 (6-10 December).

Inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept car recently revealed at the Japan Mobility Show, and jointly created with spatial experience design studio Random Studio, the interactive installation will focus on pushing the boundaries of design and technology towards a carbon-neutral future.

Through the lens of van Aubel’s solar design expertise, the artwork pays homage to the sun’s journey and amplifies the ingenuity of Lexus’s environmentally conscious and technologically pioneering electrified vehicle. Entitled 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds, referring to the time it takes sunlight to reach the earth, it will showcase the incredible potential of harnessing carbon-neutral energy. It is also a sculptural interpretation of Lexus’s vision for a new electrified model, intricately constructed around van Aubel’s use of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells commonly employed in solar power applications.

The LF-ZC (Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst) concept which inspires the installation is part of the forthcoming next-generation Lexus BEV line-up. As the name suggests, the model forms the catalyst for new experiences in the electric age, including elevated driving dynamics, uncompromised design and new, exclusive services.

The installation will model the LF-ZC to-scale, constructed with OPV (organic photovoltaic) sheets that cast colourful shadows as sunlight hits them throughout the day. Light and motion sensors within the sculpture will add to the engaging, interactive nature of the piece, creating a visual spectacle that activates the senses and embodies the inspiring possibilities of Lexus’s electric revolution.

This is van Aubel’s first public project in Miami. Lexus has brought installations to Miami Art & Design week since 2018 and this project marks the second year of its partnership with ICA Miami in building experiences that inspire visitors to consider the positive impact of creative design.

Marjan van Aubel has earned global recognition for bringing solar energy into everyday life through aesthetically pleasing works. As an advocate for sustainability within the art and design sector, her practice and research have produced award-winning furniture and lighting design, along with striking public installations. She is a co-founder of the world’s first Solar Biennale and her remarkable works are displayed in prestigious institutions, including the MoMA, Vitra Design Museum, Stedelijk Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Marjan van Aubel said: “Lexus’s dedication to innovation and craftsmanship resonates with the ethos of my own practice, which is that functional design can be both sustainable and aesthetically beautiful. With this collaboration, I hope we can bring light to the concept that sustainable design solutions are works of art.”

Brian Bolain, Lexus Global Head of Marketing, said: “We are honoured that Marjan van Aubel, a pioneer in the field of solar design, is working with us to bring her expertise and brilliance to imagine the BEV concept car. Her unwavering commitment to sustainable, human-first design is a characteristic we value strongly here at Lexus. We could not think of a better location for her installation to be unveiled than at ICA Miami, a world-class institution.”

Alex Gartenfeld, Irma and Norman Braman Artistic Director at ICA Miami said: “Environmental sustainability is a priority for ICA Miami as we have made a year-round commitment to minimising and offsetting our carbon footprint. Marjan van Aubel’s powerful work with Lexus represents significant advances in innovative sustainable design and shows how global ecological concern is driving contemporary solutions. We are delighted to provide an important platform for Marjan van Aubel and her powerful work during Miami Art Week.”

Coinciding with the installation, Lexus will once again host Lexus Art Series: Art and Innovation talks with Whitewall, a programme of discussions and talks between Lexus ambassadors and industry leaders across the art and design worlds. Additional details will be provided in November.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

About Marjan van Aubel

Marjan van Aubel Studio is an award-winning innovative solar design practice that brings solar energy into daily life, designing for a positive future by combining the fields of sustainability, design and technology. The studio is creating lasting change through solar design, integrating solar power seamlessly into our environments, with the goal of making solar power more accessible for everyone. Most notable works are Sunne, Current Table, Power Plant and the roof of the Netherlands Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Marjan has collaborated with global brands such as Cos, Timberland, Swarovski with the aim of accelerating the global energy transition to solar. She graduated from the Royal College of Art (Design Products MA) in 2012 and the Rietveld Academy DesignLAB (BA) in 2009.

She was also designated ambassador of Dutch Design Week 2022, amplifying the initiative and her own solar ambitions.

About the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) is dedicated to promoting continuous experimentation in contemporary art, advancing new scholarship, and fostering the exchange of art and ideas throughout the Miami region and internationally. Through a calendar of exhibitions and programmes, and its collection, ICA Miami provides an important international platform for the work of local, emerging, and under-recognised artists, and advances the public appreciation and understanding of the most innovative art of our time. Launched in 2014, ICA Miami opened its new permanent home in Miami’s Design District on December 1, 2017. The museum’s central location positions it as a cultural anchor within the community and enhances its role in developing cultural literacy throughout the Miami region. The museum offers free admission throughout the year, providing audiences with open, public access to artistic excellence.

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami is located at 61 NE 41st Street, Miami, Florida 33137. For more information, visit www.icamiami.org or follow the museum on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and explore the ICA Channel for inside looks at ICA Miami exhibitions and the practices of the most exciting artists working today.

About Random Studio

Random is a spatial experience design studio and B-corporation based in Amsterdam and Paris. The studio focuses on creating spaces that change and evolve based on their interaction with people, architecture, nature and technology.