SHISEIDO KARAKUSA

OVERVIEW

For the exhibition “SHISEIDO KARAKUSA,” Qosmo collaborated with Dentsu Lab Tokyo and ADBRAIN to create “Photosynthesis”, a video installation based on the theme of “new arabesque” that uses a geometric algorithm to generate arabesque patterns. We devised and implemented the system, and were responsible for the technical direction and development of the video installation.

The Shiseido arabesque design has been used in Shiseido products and advertisements since 1920. The arabesque design represents the vitality of plants and their supple and limitless possibilities, and has been passed down to the present day as a symbol of the Shiseido brand, with styles changing over time through different designers. The Shiseido Arabesque Original Art Exhibition was an exhibition of arabesque-related products and original drawings of arabesque patterns by hand drawing illustrator Marehide Susuki, who has been drawing them for over sixty years at Shiseido.

This project is based on an original hand drawing of an arabesque pattern by Marehide Susuki, and uses a geometric algorithm that combines Truchet Tiles and Tessellation to create a new arabesque pattern. While retaining the curved lines and design elements of the hand-drawn arabesques by Marehide Susuki, this hybrid arabesque generation system combines mathematical and programmatic features, such as various patterns and infinite spreading on a flat surface, to create a new arabesque pattern. Our goal was to create an arabesque pattern not only through an algorithm, but also by the co-creation of a human and an algorithm.

There are nine different types of patterns – Instead of using just one, multiple can be combined to create new arabesques.

Qosmo developed and directed a software system that dynamically generates and animates arabesque patterns and displays synchronized images on 12 large and small displays, and created a video installation called “Photosynthesis”. To generate the patterns, we used environmental changes in the area around Ginza (amount of sunlight, rainfall, CO2 emissions, and congestion in the district). These were obtained in real time from the Internet and used as parameters for the generation. Visitors can experience the arabesque patterns as they evolve every time they visit Ginza.

The arabesque generation system developed in this project has the potential to be applied a variety of other outputs other than video installations such as package design, paper bags, and wallpapers. We hope it will be used not only for one installation, but also for a wide range of applications as a general design tool. 

AWARDS

This project was awarded a Bronze in Cannes Lions 2020/2021 – Digital Craft Lions, a Bronze in The One Show 2020 – Design: Branding/Identity System, and Silver in AD STARS 2020 – Design: Communication Design: Digital design.

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LINKS

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CLIENT

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CREDITS

• CreditExecutive Creative Director

  Yoji Nobuto(Shiseido)

• Creative Director/Art Director

  Yu Miura(Shiseido)

• Art Director

  Keisuke Hori(Shiseido)

• Designer

  Kizuki Nakano(Shiseido)

• Producer

  Sachiko Takamine(Shiseido)

• Creative Director/Copywriter

  Naoki Tanaka(Dentsu Lab Tokyo)

• Art Director

  Yusuke Koyanagi(Dentsu Lab Tokyo)

• Planner/Producer

  Kenji Ozaki(DENTSU LIVE INC.)

• Creative Technologist

  Kyoko Yonezawa(Dentsu Lab Tokyo)

• Creative Technologist/Programmer

  Shintaro Murakami(Dentsu Lab Tokyo)

• Copywriter/Planner

  Risako Kawashima(Dentsu Lab Tokyo)

• Technical Director/Programmer

  Shoya Dozono(Qosmo/Dentsu Craft Tokyo)

• Assistant

  Ryosuke Nakajima(Qosmo)

• Assistant

  Makoto Amano(Qosmo)

• Planner/Artist

  Yosuke Nakazato(HAKUTEN)

• Designer

  Koji Nakae(HAKUTEN)

• Designer

  Ryukei Aoyagi(HAKUTEN)

• Creative Director

  Kuwana isao(HAKUTEN)

• Producer

  Seishiro Tate(HAKUTEN)

• Production

  waki process Bulld()

• Designer

  Airi Nakano(ADBRAIN)

• Designer

  Yuya Ogawa(ADBRAIN)

• Producer

  Shohei Nakajima(ADBRAIN)

• Print Producer

  Shunichi Yamashita(SHOEI INC.)

• Print Operator

  Junpei Takahara(SHOEI INC.)