Ma: Between Nature and Craftsmanship

MA, as a collaborative design research project between the Institute for Materialdesign IMD at the Offenbach University of Art and Design, and Mazda Motor Corporation, creates an interactive installation reinterpreting the Japanese design philosophy from a European perspective.

The research project, presents an understanding of the philosophy of Ma (間, lit. 'gap, space, pause') in Japanese art and craftsmanship, which is a Japanese philosophy referring to the time and space in between. It emphasises the perception of the gap and interval between nature and craftsmanship. 

The team of IMD used the material design approach to understand, interpret, and explore the Japanese craftsmanship in different fields and historical periods, and then integrated these innovative hands-on experimentation results generated in the new context into the concept of the project, creating a 4-metre-long installation: between two solid black roots, hollow black wooden sheets are lined up, resulting in a structure with smooth and dynamic lines. 

The various results of material experimentations were applied to the surface of this holistic structure, formulating in colour gradations and morphological cuts. Inside the structure, sensor controlled light sources let the Object interact with its surroundings.

The final project delivery contains the installation and material samples from experimentations. These samples contain several directions of research and experimentation: Kogin-zashi (こぎん刺し), Yakisugi (焼杉), Katazome (型染め), Sokui (続飯), Tadelakt (タデラクト), Woodcut printing and Gyotaku (木版画 と 魚拓), Papermaché (張り子), Asa no Ha (麻の葉). They demonstrate the feasibility and aesthetic experiences of Japanese craftsmanship in different fields. 

In Kooperation mit / In cooperation with: Mazda Europe

Teilnehmer_innen / Participants: Sophie Bernauer, Mi Düver, Julia Kulaga, Lennard Ludig,

Dipl. -Des. Florian Hundt

Projektbetreuung /Supervision:

Prof. Dr. Markus Holzbach, Dipl.-Des. Valentin Brück, Dr. Ziyu Zhou (IMD Institut für Materialdesign)

Jo Stenuit (Mazda Europe), Sandra Hoener zu Bentrup (Mazda Europe),