An Encounter with Anticipation - “Meet the Anticipation” is the name of the installation presented by the design duo Formafantasma for the Lexus car brand at the Milan Design Week Milan Design Week.
In addition, “Anticipation” is a topic set by the Lexus Design Award Award Committee, which the automotive brand annually presents to novice designers in its Spazio Lexus pavilion during Milan’s Design Week. (This year, the AMAM Japanese team won the Grand Prix for the concept of producing environmentally friendly packaging from natural gelling substrate agar-agar.) Innovative design, like high technology, is the basis of the Lexus philosophy. This was proven by the flagship concept Lexus LF-FC, shown in the fall at the Tokyo Motor Show. The prototype of the future production model - the executive sedan of the new generation Lexus LS 2016-2017 - shook the imagination of even experienced pros. The management of the company proudly calls the new show car a "luxury from the future." This concept became the main character of the installation in Spazio Lexus at Milan Design Week 2016.
The duo Formafantasma is next to kinetic sculptures that move and glow thanks to hydrogen fuel cells. Lexus participates in Milan's Dizan Week for the 11th time. To create an exposition in Spazio Lexus, the brand selects famous designers every year. This year, the Italian duo Formafantasma working in Amsterdam was invited. In order to convey a sense of anticipation, according to a given topic, Andrea Trimarki and Simone Farresin were inspired in the spirit of the trend of MAKE by smart technologies and ancient traditions of handicrafts that Japanese culture is famous for. As in previous years, Lexus displays its project in the building of the former Torneria body shop at the Zona Tortona exhibition area. The architectural installation consists of three parts, each of which is located in a separate room. The atmosphere of a traditional Japanese home in the post-industrial space is created by partition walls made of wood and rice paper.
16 metal stools painted by hand and machine, including using traditional Japanese varnish technology. 
The high-gloss surface is made using the same technology as Lexus LF-FC lacquer coating. 
The three-dimensional image of the concept Lexus LF-FC is created from thousands of white and blue colored threads. 
When the internal frame of the structure rises up together with the colored threads fixed on it, the image of the Lexus LF-FC concept is born in front of the public. 
The use of threads in the art installation of An Encounter with Anticipation is a tribute to the Japanese tradition of weaving. 
Designers of Formafantasma designed the interiors of the Spazio Lexus pavilion with paper and wood partitions - like in Japanese houses. In the first hall, Formafantasma created an incredibly meditative interior: 16 laconic handmade metal stools, painted using a special technology that combines manual and machine processing, are arranged in an even circle. The body of the concept Lexus LF-FC is painted in the same way. Durable high-gloss surface appears dark blue or dark gray, depending on how the light falls.
In the second hall, literally in front of visitors, a three-dimensional image of the concept Lexus LF-FC is born. It is created by thousands of threads dyed in white and blue, fastened inside a metal frame structure. In the third largest space, a four-part kinetic sculpture is presented, which is set in motion and illuminated by a Fuel Cell hydrogen fuel cell. They also serve as fuel for the concept Lexus LF-FC. At the exit when the hydrogen engine is running only water remains. It is an absolutely clean technology.
Japanese chef Yoji Tokioshi is participating in the project. His Milan restaurant Ristorante Tokuyoshi recently received a Michelin star. Visitors can taste its unique dishes, created to convey a sense of anticipation at the taste and visual levels.
