LEXUS AND MARJAN VAN AUBEL'S "8 MINUTES AND 20 SECONDS"
Marjan van Aubel, the Dutch solar designer whose work bridges cutting-edge technology and fine art, has teamed up with Lexus to create "8 Minutes and 20 Seconds," a landmark installation at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami). The name refers to the exact time sunlight takes to travel from the Sun to Earth, framing solar energy not as a background resource but as the central artistic medium.
What Is the "8 Minutes and 20 Seconds" Installation?
Unveiled during Miami Art and Design Week 2023, the installation is a life-sized sculptural representation of the Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst (LF-ZC) concept car, realized entirely through Organic Photovoltaics (OPV). These are the same color-rich, translucent solar cells that van Aubel has championed throughout her career, and they give the piece its ethereal, luminous quality.
The work was realized in collaboration with spatial and experience design firm Random Studio, which developed the interactive elements that bring the sculpture to life. Four motion sensors embedded in the base respond to viewers as they move through the installation, triggering waves of light that pulse and ripple across the structure, evoking the energy of a vehicle in motion.
How Organic Photovoltaics Power the Piece
OPV solar cells are a departure from conventional silicon panels. They are lightweight, semi-transparent, and available in a full spectrum of colors, which makes them uniquely suited to art and architectural applications. Van Aubel has positioned them at the intersection of sustainability and aesthetics, arguing that solar technology need not be hidden away but can itself become the object of beauty.
In "8 Minutes and 20 Seconds," the OPV cells double as both the energy source and the visual surface of the sculpture, creating a seamless connection between the car's electric platform and the renewable energy that could power it. The effect is heightened by a bespoke ambient soundscape that weaves together soft piano, warm string instruments, chimes, and natural sounds including bamboo tones that reference the interior materials of the LF-ZC concept.
Van Aubel's broader body of work, held in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Vitra Design Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, has established her as one of the defining voices in solar design. This collaboration with Lexus extends her practice into the automotive sector for the first time, with the LF-ZC serving as both muse and structural backbone.
Lexus at ICA Miami: Art and Innovation as Strategy
This installation marks the second consecutive year that Lexus has partnered with ICA Miami, reinforcing a long-term commitment to creative dialogue that goes beyond traditional automotive sponsorship. The brand also hosted panel discussions on art, innovation, and the future of sustainable design, positioning itself as a participant in cultural conversation rather than a passive sponsor.
The choice of van Aubel is deliberate. Her reputation rests on making solar technology emotionally resonant: her installations consistently ask how renewable energy can be integrated into everyday life without sacrificing beauty or meaning. "8 Minutes and 20 Seconds" asks the same question at automotive scale, suggesting that the LF-ZC and vehicles like it are not simply modes of transport but expressions of a wider ecological ambition.
The piece also marks van Aubel's first public installation in Miami, adding a milestone dimension to an already significant collaboration. The LF-ZC concept itself, which debuted at the Japan Mobility Show in late 2023, represents Lexus's vision for the next generation of electric mobility, with a focus on software-defined driving and a cockpit designed around the driver's sensory experience.
Where Art, Design, and Mobility Converge
TheArsenale has long operated at the crossing of fine art, mobility, and design culture. The Lexus x Marjan van Aubel collaboration is exactly the kind of work that defines this space: objects and experiences that make you think about what vehicles are, what energy means, and what design can accomplish when it refuses to separate function from beauty.
Explore the TheArsenale Gallery for a curated selection of fine art and mobility pieces that share this spirit. Collectors and enthusiasts will also appreciate the RIOCAM Car & Fashion Book Vol. 2, a visually arresting document of automotive culture and style. Complete the look with the Technical Machines Hoodie or the TheArsenale Trucker Cap, both designed for those who live at the intersection of mobility and culture.
Photo: LEXUS
