The ASUS Zenbook Launch Debut Exhibition, Design You Can Feel, opened its doors during the London Design Festival 2024 at Protein Studios in Shoreditch. The exhibition offers a look into material innovation, blending craftsmanship and AI with ASUS’s latest sustainable material, Ceraluminum™. Designers and visitors are invited to explore how objects can awaken the senses through texture, color, and form.
A Collaboration Between Design Studios and ASUS
At the heart of the exhibition is collaboration. Six renowned design studios were commissioned to create pieces that merge form, color, and texture into objects that evoke sensory experiences. Future Facility, a London-based design and research studio, crafted SUSA, a piece designed to explore the balance between digital and physical worlds. Using AI technology housed in a tactile Ceraluminum shell, SUSA aims to provide a more reflective experience with technology.
Niceworkshop, a Seoul-based design studio, also showcased an aluminum lounge chair that underwent the ceramicization process, marking the first time Ceraluminum has been used outside the ASUS Zenbook lineup. Other designers, including Fernando Laposse, Giles Miller Studio, Natural Material Studio, and Studio Furthermore, contributed to the exhibition with pieces ranging from furniture to lighting, each interpreting materiality in unique ways.
Ceraluminum: The Star Material
One of the focal points of the exhibition is ASUS’s new material, Ceraluminum™, a high-tech ceramicized aluminum. This innovative material, often used in industries like aerospace and luxury watches, is celebrated for its durability and scratch resistance. Developed over four years, ASUS has fine-tuned the process, using electric current and mineral formulas to control the colors, texture, and hardness of Ceraluminum without adding pigments.
What makes Ceraluminum unique is its sustainability. Unlike traditional aluminum anodization, which relies on hazardous chemicals, the process for creating Ceraluminum uses pure water and eliminates harmful substances. This results in a 100% recyclable material with long-lasting properties. The exhibition highlights Ceraluminum’s versatility, showing it off in different contexts beyond just the ASUS Zenbook, with objects designed to spark a conversation between natural and technological aesthetics.
Immersive Design Spaces
The exhibition itself is more than just a display; it’s an immersive experience. Visitors are guided through sand-dune-inspired pathways that create a tactile and visual connection between nature and technology. The space’s design is intended to evoke a sense of calm and exploration, blending the natural world’s aesthetics with cutting-edge materials and design concepts.
The exhibition culminates in an interactive zone, where visitors can engage hands-on with ASUS Zenbook laptops, known for their thin and light portability. These laptops feature AI-driven tools and are clad in Ceraluminum, connecting the material’s practicality with its beauty.
Conclusion: Where Art Meets Innovation
The Design You Can Feel exhibition offers a fresh perspective on how technology and design intersect, with a focus on material innovation and sustainability. Visitors can explore these designs at Protein Studios in Shoreditch until September 22, 2024. As for the ASUS Zenbooks themselves, these thin and light laptops, made with Ceraluminum, are available for those interested in seeing how this new material performs in day-to-day use. Check the exhibition information.
