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We look at a photograph collection. Skeletons from various creatures loom out of a jet-black background. The biological position and sequence of the creatures’ bones are faithfully recreated, and on the page the white objects limberly move together, rise up, run, and sail through the air. Extracting only the bone structures, the book seems to emphasize even more clearly the dynamic quality of the creatures.

The skeletal structures of living creatures are masterfully interrelated with their elegant external appearances. If we consider that everything is formed from one cell through the process of differentiation, the inalienability of the relationship may be obvious. However, what about industrial skeletons? Looking back, we may suspect that what we call design is actually the act of arbitrarily dressing up the exterior to conceal the skeletons within. But even so, we may also expect to find a more fundamental aspect of design in the skeletal structures of industrial products.

In our daily lives, we may sometimes find that ordinary tools and devices have an organic feel akin to living creatures. Why do metal and plastic objects, not intended to resemble natural forms, remind us of life? When we gather together the structures of industrial products, we get glimpses of the answer to this question. We see the sequences of parts drawn up together to move in unison towards a common goal, and the traces of evolution occurring over years of innovation upon innovation. They are not perfected forms, and the fact that they will probably continue to evolve is analogous to us living creatures.

And how will these “skeletons” change in the future? Technology continues to give birth to new connections between humans and artifice, and creates a wider freedom of design, sometimes also triggering variations. Bones of new materials and high definition, and those backed up by tradition and lessons of nature, and those found in the virtual world of information technology. With “bones” and “skeletons” as our unifying theme, we hope to join the creators of this exhibition in their designs, and also find inspiration to discover the essence of the world that we must create going forward.

Shunji Yamanaka, exhibition director

Shunji Yamanaka
Graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 1982. After working for Nissan Motor's Design Centre and serving as an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, he established LEADING EDGE DESIGN in 1994. Since April 2008 he has been appointed professor of Keio University. As a designer Yamanaka has created a wide range of industrial products from watches to railway cars. Additionally, as an engineer he has worked with researchers to develop prototypes such as the humanoid robot “morph 3” that have received attention in scientific fields. Based on experiment, he designed the forward-sloping antenna surface for East Japan Railway Company’s automated Suica entrance system, and contributed to practicality by dramatically increasing read rates. His recent creations include the “OVO” watch and “Avein” office chair. He has received many awards including the iF product design award (Germany) and Good Design Award (Japan).
http://www.lleedd.com/