Silver Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design · 2026
Transition Exhibition
- A' Design Award 2026 Silver Winner in Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: enigma Inc.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 28,775
- Verification code FA02DCC0E3 · Verify this award
About Transition Exhibition
Transition is an exhibition of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, which has a history of 1,400 years. The open layout has no rear wall, so visitors walk freely and view each arrangement from many angles instead of only from the front. Sunlight and responsive LED lighting change through the day, so the space and the living flowers shift continuously. The pedestals are 3D printed from recyclable resin and can be taken apart, moved and reused. The level, barrier-free floor gives easy access to all visitors.
Shuhei Matsuyama's Transition Exhibition engages with longstanding traditions of botanical arrangement while deploying contemporary material innovation to create installations that seem to hover between the earthly and the ethereal, the two primary compositions presented here demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of how illuminated architecture can transform organic materials into objects of heightened contemplation, the work appears to draw upon centuries-old ikebana principles wherein negative space, asymmetrical balance, and the suggestion of seasonal passage hold equal importance to the botanical elements themselves, yet the designer introduces radically modern pedestals constructed from gridded translucent acrylic that emit soft luminosity from within, effectively dematerializing the boundary between vessel and void while elevating each arrangement into something approaching the sacred, the left composition rises vertically with energetic upward thrust, its chartreuse leaves and delicate branches suggesting spring vitality and growth, while the right arrangement spreads horizontally with weathered wood and miniature conifers evoking ancient landscapes and the patient accumulation of time, together they establish a dialogue between aspiration and groundedness, youth and age, the momentary bloom and enduring form, the architectural context of the exhibition space with its monumental concrete columns, expansive glazing revealing twilight skies, and warm amber lighting in the upper reaches creates a transitional environment perfectly suited to installations that themselves explore transition as theme and experience, viewers are invited to consider how the ephemeral beauty of cut flowers and gathered botanicals gains new significance when presented within structures that glow with inner light, perhaps suggesting the luminous potential within all organic life or the transformative power of thoughtful presentation, one might linger before these works and contemplate what other transitions they illuminate.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- An immersive flower exhibition engaging all five senses, tracing 1,400 years of ikebana and the kado philosophy of the life of flowers. Fresh floral works, shifting sunlight, and responsive lighting continuously transform both space and experience. A wall-less, open configuration overturns traditional frontal ikebana viewing, inviting active participation and enabling unrepeatable, time-based engagement with floral art.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Exhibition area: approx. 300 sqm.
Monitor fixtures: 1965 mm Width x 470 mm Depth x 1195 mm Height.
Large stage: 3000 mm Width x 4200 mm Depth x 300 mm Height.
130-size modular lighting pedestals in 3 types: A: 400 mm Width x 400 mm Depth, B: 500 mm Width x 500 mm Depth, C: 800 mm Width x 800 mm Depth.
All components are designed for disassembly, reuse, and full barrier-free accessibility. - Tags
- Ikebana, Exhibition Design, Floral Art, Japanese Culture, Immersive Experience, Sustainable Design, Inclusive Design, Expo 2025, Contemporary Art, Spatial Design
- Production Technology
- The exhibition structure was realized using recyclable resin-based 3D-printed pedestals, minimizing waste and enabling modular reuse for future installations. The lighting design incorporated responsive LED systems to simulate natural transitions. Spatial modeling and daylight simulation were conducted using Unreal Engine to test sun paths and visual conditions, allowing for precise environmental calibration. Materials include wood, recycled steel, and living floral elements.
- Design Challenge
- Traditional ikebana shows erected one-off timber walls and fixtures, then scrapped them. We challenged that legacy, adopting a reusable system that slashes physical build. Pedestals are 3-D-printed from recyclable resin, designed for quick disassembly, transport, and redeployment, cutting material use and waste. With level floors and wide clearances, the fully barrier-free layout marries sustainability to inclusive design.
- Project Duration
- The project started on April 13, 2025, and concluded on April 20, 2025. It was exhibited at the “Gallery EAST” of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
- Operation Flow
- Visitors freely move through the open, wall-less gallery, exploring ikebana arrangements from multiple angles. Natural and dynamic lighting interact with fresh flowers, creating constantly shifting scenes. This spatial and sensory engagement encourages personal interpretation, breaking from the static, front-facing norms of classical ikebana.
- Research
- In this show we discarded the rear wall once mandatory for classical ikebana and used self-standing fixtures, letting visitors wander freely. Single-use timber walls became reusable, 3-D-printed units of recycled resin, proving ikebana can travel to sites once impossible. Surveys showed 90 % of attendees were first-time ikebana viewers, revealing new audiences. Energized by this success, we are already planning the next “new-generation” flower exhibition.
- Inspiration
- Ikebana is a centuries-old tradition that unites time-based and spatial art. To honor this duality, we removed the rear wall once deemed essential, shaping a fluid gallery where changing daylight, responsive lighting, and living flowers mingle in shifting layers. Visitors roam freely, viewing each arrangement from many angles while bespoke Unreal-Engine simulations refined sun paths and sightless, letting space and work animate each other.
- Image Credits
- Image #1-#5: Photographer Kamiya Ryo、Transition: The Origin of Ikebana、 2025.
Video Credits: Videographer Mizuno Kai、 Transition: The Origin of Ikebana、 2025. - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Ikenobo Society of Floral Art, 2025.