Milan 2010: Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka created an installation with hundreds of transparent plastic sticks at the Kartell showroom in Milan last week.

Called Snowflake, the installation displayed Yoshioka’s Invisibles collection of clear plastic furniture (see our earlier story).

More about Tokujin Yoshioka at Milan 2010:

Invisibles furniture for Kartell
Memory chair for Moroso
Stellar at Swarovski Crystal Palace

See all our stories about Tokujin Yoshioka here.
See all our stories about Milan 2010 here.

The text below is from Kartell:

Kartell Gallery
The Invisibles by Tokujin Yoshioka 2010

As a special collaboration between Claudio Luti and Tokujin Yoshioka, I am presenting “The Invisibles” collections and a shop installation entitled “Snowflake”. Recent years, I find myself often proposing designs, which incorporate the essence of natural phenomena and invisible elements.

The idea of the “Invisibles” initiates in the discussion I had with Mr. Claudio Luti almost two years ago. We both looked at the possibility to develop and express a new product in acrylic, which inherits the essence of optical glass bench “Water Block”.

It has been thought nearly impossible to create an industrial product in acrylic of this thickness. However, their innovative techniques and motivation and challenge to create a new product with a fresh dimension to idea have made it possible.

“The Invisibles” only leaves the sense as if seating in the air. The presence of the object is eradicated and it will create a scenery of a sitter floating in the air.

I am drawn by things that do not have forms but leave emotional effect to people. At a glance, such material is invisible and its existence is erased. Through the interaction with light, however, the form suddenly emerges. I am fascinated not only with such phenomena, but also elements that can stir and stimulate our imagination. I also like the idea of light, which is the form of design itself.

For the installation, I will create a serene world with numerous transparent prism sticks in plastic. The accumulation of transparent sticks is tinged with white color just like real snow.I believe that the installation will offer visitors extraordinary experiences as if stepping into the snowflake.

We are living in the age when design overflows. In such age, I pondered on expressing something that does not have form or design. In other words, it is something that transcends the general idea on form and design, and provokes our emotion.

It is not to deal with forms or to make minimal forms, but to design that gets us into the work, lifts up our spirits. I would like to design something that moves even myself. Recent years, I am challenging to incorporate formless elements that appeal to our heart such as new idea, color, scent, and to design an emotion itself.

One of them is a phenomena called “light”, another one is something that you cannot see, and the other one is something that has unlimited forms by transforming its appearance.

This year at Salone del Mobile, I will present works that do not obtain forms, while each work has unique characteristics.