Lexus unveils Crafting Plastics collaboration in Miami

At this year's much anticipated Miami Art & Design Week, Lexus has unveiled Liminal Cycles, a multi-sensory and responsive installation created in collaboration with Bratislava-based research and design studio Crafting Plastics.

The project marks the automotive brand's ninth year showcasing its commitment to design at the annual event and its third year collaborating with the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami). Drawing inspiration from the Lexus LF-ZC (Lexus Future Zero Catalyst) Battery Electric Vehicle concept car, the installation embodies Lexus' exploration of material innovation, responsive technology, and personalisation.

Crafting Plastics' brief was to develop a sculpture based on the concept car and three additional satellite sculptures. The studio's founder, Vlasta Kubušová, describes it as a very open brief with a lot of freedom, adding that they "didn't have to compromise" on how they used the biomaterials and the interactions they wanted to incorporate.

"We were really able to explore what we think is relevant and create a great multi-sensory experience," she says. Crafting Plastics' previous work had been done mostly in the interior design space, making this their debut in automotive.

Although they didn't see the concept car in person, the team could talk with the head of design at Lexus to truly understand what they were trying to achieve. Ultimately, they were trying to make the car "more responsive and ecological", which really aligned with the studio's values, according to Kubušová.

"From the very beginning, when Crafting Plastics started, we wanted to explore how we should use new biomaterials," she explains. While they started off working with existing materials, they soon realised that these often didn't hit the mark in terms of performance or ecological footprint. Over the years, the studio has developed a new suite of biomaterials designed for different uses.

Using bio-based polymers, the studio creates various mixtures using different ratios for different types of technologies, from 3D printing and injection moulding to extrusion. The material used for the Lexus installation is Crafting Plastics' proprietary 3D-printed bioplastic Nuatan®, which is biodegradable, based on 100% renewable resources and leaves no micro-plastics behind.

Kubušová says they were keen to showcase how they could use the material "at scale" for larger applications through this project.

The sculpture is coated with a UV-responsive material skin and reacts to environmental stimuli, such as UV radiation and a viewer's proximity, in real-time by changing colour and expanding and contracting with breath-like movements. This pulsating movement aims to mimic the rhythms of natural beings, symbolising the potential harmonies between nature and technology.

Crafting Plastics wanted to create something more dynamic and responsive than a regular sculpture that reacts to both the environment and the user. "It became a medium between humans and what's happening around us that we sometimes cannot see," says Kubušová.

It was a few years ago when the studio first started to work with materials that react to UV, changing colour according to the UV levels, which is what happens with the Lexus installation. According to Kubušová, they also wanted the sculpture to appear as a living thing, so the closer you come to it, the more it opens up and pulsates, as if breathing.

The three smaller satellite sculptures represent aspects of the concept car's interior in an abstract way. Crafting Plastics chose to focus on the steering wheel, the headrests of the car seats and the Lexus logo.

One of the sculptures - a flower-like form with a rugged, earthy texture - represents the steering wheel and was designed for physical interaction. Like the main installation, the closer you get, the more it reacts to you, but this time through sound. Then, when you touch the wheel, the main sculpture starts to "breathe differently".

The abstract wheel can also sense when multiple people are touching it and respond differently. "We wanted to have a feeling of collaboration with this satellite," says Kubušová.

A second sculpture reimagines the form of the LF-ZC's headrest as a section of lounge seating and focuses on the olfactory experience. As you approach it, you can smell a bespoke scent designed specifically for Lexus.

The final piece is a wind-activated, lattice-like sculpture that uses UV-reactive bioplastic material to detect shifts in UV radiation. When it reaches a certain level, the sculpture responds to these stimuli with a subtle reveal of the Lexus logo. It encourages you to stop and admire the materials while waiting for the structure to evolve and change.

Kubušová says: "Every step of this project was a challenge, but I think that's part of our studio spirit because we never want to repeat ourselves and always wait to bring something new.

"It's a big risk, but bringing research into practice is always a risk, and you can't move forward without it."

She reinforces that Crafting Plastics really wanted to show that these materials can be printed at scale and respond to software. "We've pushed what is possible with these materials thanks to this collaboration," she adds.

The issue with new materials is often that they're here and exist in the world, but there needs to be a willingness to use them. Ultimately, it will be something like a domino effect, and Kubušová agrees.

"I think there is a need for brands to use these new materials. People will be ready to use them when companies are ready to use them," she explains.

It's also significant that Lexus, as a premium brand, is showing a willingness to adopt new materials, as some people are stuck in the perception that sustainability and luxury are not compatible. Kubušová says: "That's why our first product we created was not a water bottle; it was an eyewear collection because we wanted to show that these materials can serve us as long as we need them and still be biodegradable.

"These new types of polymers are also bringing completely new aesthetics to the table." This adds an element of uniqueness and luxury that consumers are increasingly looking for.

Kubušová believes that, to implement these materials at scale, there needs to be diversity to avoid a monoculture. "I hope we will be able to inspire other producers and designers to make this the norm, not just with our materials," she says.

The types of biomaterials readily available in one country might differ from another depending on their resources. However, if companies use what is abundant in their region, materials and products won't have to be imported from abroad.

Designers and brands must keep pushing the boundaries and proving that biomaterials are viable for many applications. Collaborations like this one between Lexus and Crafting Plastics set will undoubtedly help bring these materials into the mainstream.