Klv by Takahiro Matsuo wins Gold in A' Installation Design Awards

Klv, a kinetic light installation by Takahiro Matsuo and Lucent Design Inc., won Gold in the Installation Design category at the A' Design Awards. The recognition spotlights a 450-sphere work created for Expo 2025 that blends motion, projection and light into an immersive spatial experience.

Why it matters: - The Gold award signals international recognition for a kinetic installation built to communicate across languages and cultures through light, motion and space. - The win strengthens Lucent Design Inc.'s position in experiential design, where public venues and expos are looking for immersive works that do not rely on text. - The project gives the installation industry a concrete example of how mechanical precision and environmental storytelling can be combined in a public-facing artwork.

What happened: - The A' Design Awards named Klv by Takahiro Matsuo a Gold winner in the Installation Design category. - The installation was developed for Expo 2025. - The award was announced in Como, Italy, on September 11, 2026. - Klv was created by Takahiro Matsuo and Ruiyi Zhou of Lucent Design Inc. for client Shiga Prefecture. - The project team also included Sumiko Aizu and Anri Ito of Totalmedia Development Institute Co., Ltd. as producers, Daichi Oka of Drama Makers Ltd. as video designer, and Toppan Inc. for project management and construction.

The details: - Klv stands for Kinetic Light Vision. - The installation uses 450 luminous acrylic spheres suspended in calibrated alignment. - Each sphere is individually actuated by precision stepper motors. - Ultra-fine 0.27 millimeter wires support the spheres and reduce visual interference. - Vertically aligned, ultra-narrow 0.2 degree full-color LED spotlights sit beneath each sphere. - The lighting setup turns the spheres into volumetric points of light while keeping beam definition sharp. - Panoramic curved projection surfaces and mirrored architectural elements expand the sense of depth. - Light, motion and reflection are coordinated in real time. - The work reinterprets the seasonal atmosphere of Lake Biwa as an active spatial phenomenon. - The installation combines kinetic art, programmable illumination and projection technology in one system. - A dedicated project page is available from the A' Design Awards: the award page

Between the lines: - The award fits a broader shift in installation design toward sensory experiences that can work without language. - Klv is framed less as a decorative light piece and more as a spatial system built from environmental cues, which is where much of the field's current innovation is moving. - The recognition also suggests that studios using scalable kinetic systems may have an edge in future public and exhibition projects.

What's next: - Lucent Design Inc. is likely to use the award as validation for further research into immersive light environments. - The studio is expected to continue developing installations that combine visual imagery, lighting, sound, technology and interaction. - The A' Design Award recognition may help the project and studio reach more public-space, exhibition and cultural clients. - The company points to continued innovation in experiential and installation design as a goal following the win.