Panasonic Design will exhibit a collection of lights that react to peoples' behavior at this year's London Design Biennale at Somerset House. The objects in Kasa collection, inspired by Japanese notions of natural beauty, shut themselves down when approached/handled too aggressively. The aim is to change the relationship between people and objects, whereby objects are treated care, and consequently, people are inspired with feelings of calm and positivity.
"Emotional States is a natural theme for a design biennale," said Takehiro Ikeda, Creative Director of Panasonic Design & Director of Panasonic FLUX. "The design of everything around us - our homes, environments, the clothes we wear and the products we surround ourselves with - all have immense power to influence our state of mind. As new technology becomes ever more embedded into our everyday lives, there is no better time to explore the impact design can have on the very human language of emotions that we all intuitively understand and respond to."
Developed by Panasonic Design to influence behavioral patterns, Kasa is an experiential exploration into the future relationship between people and objects, and very much an example of this. Through reinforcing positive actions and discouraging negative ones, Panasonic hopes to promote a transition towards a new relationship between people and objects, whereby the latter are treasured and handled with care and the former are inspired with feelings of calm and happiness. Visitors to the Biennale will be able to interact with Kasa at Somerset House throughout the Biennale as a response to the theme 'Emotional States.'
Kasa is one of a collection of objects, crafted by Panasonic's co-creation project, Kyoto KADEN Lab. The collection has been developed through a series of collaborations with the Kyoto-based craftsmen, to gain a deeper understanding of the manufacturing industry's origins and subsequently develop new categories of design.
Photos: Courtesy of Panasonic Design