Issey Miyake helped celebrate the Fondation Cartier in a unique and artistic way this past Friday evening. Falling from the sky were the most innovative lamps, that almost lost as if they were made from paper. “It looks like paper, but it’s not,” he reassured, “It’s a new generation of a material we developed [entirely] from PET bottles; better quality.” His new creation help the 30th anniversary celebration with a new form of magic, has he created folded lamps that resembled fish, snakes, and other animals.
The material was created by the group Reality Research Labs, an organization that works to discover new production possibilities that don’t disrupt the environment, which Miyake founded in 2007. The ultra-light pleated garments, true to Miyake form, use less energy and therefore produce less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The three-dimensional lamps will continue to hang on display at the Fondation Cartier until the end of August.
Playing with many different materials and textures, the artist has exhibitions of his own. Featured in 21_21 Design Site in Tokyo, Miyake makes designs based from unexpected materials, like chocolate and rice. Revealing another work in progress called “Image Makers”, Miyake dropped the names of some respected people, including French photographer Jean-Paul Goude, David Lynch, who is a filmmaker, musician and painter from the U.S., Japanese designer Noritaka Tatehana, and many others. While the exhibit will run from July 4th through October 5th, don’t ask what’s going to be included! “I don’t know what they will do – until it’s done,” Miyake concluded.
