DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM OF LIFE

Returning after 55 years, Expo 2025 was the second World Expo to be held in Osaka, Japan. 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives' had been chosen as the overall theme.

While countries and private companies from around the world exhibited their pavilions, eight official Expo 'Signature Pavilions' were created as well. In these pavilions, eight producers presented their own interpretations and contributions to the discussion.

Takram participated in the signature pavilion with the Theme 'Quest of Life' by professor and author Shin-Ichi Fukuoka. Exhibits in this pavilion allowed visitors to experience the producer's philosophy 'DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM OF LIFE'.

 

 

Takram approached MADRIX two years before the official opening of the Expo based on a recommendation by an LED-staging expert regarding the MADRIX 5 Software and its usefulness for stable operation in a large-scale exhibition. It was mandatory to create an exhibit of the quality befitting an Expo signature pavilion. Therefore, Takram tested the usability of the MADRIX 5 Software with a smaller MADRIX 5 entry license beforehand and confirmed that the specifications were sufficient with overall evaluation of video playback, DMX settings, external control, and performance. The team knew that is was critical for all equipment to operate flawlessly for 12 hours daily for a total of 6 months during the exhibition period.

During the planning phase, Takram shared the project's concept and discussed basic ideas for LED control and the required PC specifications. MADRIX supported the team's plans by matching what Takram wanted to achieve with the capabilities of the MADRIX 5 Software. Initial problems during operation were shared by Takram and resolved by MADRIX with attentive support and software updates.

Following a 3-month tender that resulted in the team's selection as the best proposal to make the producer's idea as pure an exhibition as possible. The project took around 2.5 years to complete. 10 people worked in the planning and design stages, while 5 were responsible for the production phase; with other collaborators joining from time to time.

 

 

While the mainstream of video equipment, such as displays and projectors, seems to know only one direction to make everything brighter, more detailed, and more vivid, Takram dared to pursue a low-resolution, monochrome, and delicate light-based expression in this project. Images and visualizations are interpolated in the viewer's mind, thereby creating a unique and memorable exhibition for each visitor.

Still, on the control side of things that required the ability of controlling hundreds of thousands of LEDs smoothly; with a target of 30 FPS, the ability to handle multiple GB-sized video material, and the ability to create interactive effects using sensors.

From a creative perspective, the goal was to have visitors experience rather just to learn the concept of dynamic equilibrium. The exhibit tried to convey that living things are constantly being synthesized and decomposed on a particle scale, and that this has been going on uninterruptedly for 3.8 billion years. It can be viewed by 80 people at a time and ran approximately 40 times per day.

In total, the completed exhibit spanned across a diameter of 10 m, with 30 m overall circumference and a height of 2.5 m.
On the technical side, the project had to meet various requirements:

• It needed to withstand sunlight and salt damage because the venue is on a reclaimed land facing the sea.
• It needed to be installed freestanding inside a membrane structure.
• It needed to be possible to assemble and disassemble it inside the building due to limited entrances and exits.
• It needed to be able to relocate or reuse after the exhibition ends.

 

 

326,088 white LEDs on 36,232 custom-made LED boards are pixel-mapped with a MADRIX 5 maximum license, fed by 49 DMX controllers, and powered by 83 5V/100A power supplies.

Fixed spatial lighting was important for visitors to enjoy the internal architectural structures and for safety reasons. This part of the lighting system was also DMX-controlled to create an immersive experience in conjunction with the exhibition.
Moreover, the exhibit combined light and sound in order to create surround sound with multiple speakers placed inside and around the LED installation.
Accessibility zones were set up with tablets and vibration devices for people with visual and hearing impairments to enjoy.

Another key element was the interactive system. By detecting visitors, their movements could be expressed with light and allowed them to experience that they themselves are part of the flow of life.

While a lot of prototyping went into the custom PCBs, a dedicated workflow using 3D CG software helped the team work on the exhibit's content to express the flowing movement of particles and the lively appearance of living creatures. They created a system that allowed previews on the exhibition equipment in real time during development, including an Unreal Engine simulator capable of playing back full-scale content and a workflow for sending content directly from production tools to the exhibition equipment. These tools helped the team refine the content before final delivery. Ultimately, the content was exported as video compiled from image sequences and played back using MADRIX Software, ensuring stable operation throughout the exhibition.

 

 

Expo 2025 opened its doors from April 13, 2025 until October 13, 2025.

Takram would like to express theirs thanks to MADRIX as they were very supportive und supported the success of the Expo exhibit.
MADRIX would like to express theirs thanks to Takram for their trust and for choosing MADRIX Lighting Control.

 

 

 

About Takram – www.takram.com
Takram is a design-innovation firm founded in 2005 that bridges and integrates design, technology, and business. Our multidisciplinary team –including design engineers and business designers– takes on groundbreaking projects; from service and product design to brand strategy and visionary planning, shaping the future of organizations. What sets Takram apart is its diverse team, bringing together a range of expertise, outstanding communication skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a global outlook. With studios in Tokyo, London, New York, and Shanghai, Takram is strategically positioned to serve clients worldwide.

About MADRIX – www.madrix.com
MADRIX is all about powerful yet simple products for creative LED lighting. This includes compelling tools for lighting management, monitoring, and control. Benefit from years of experience and industry knowledge. inoage develops lighting software since 2005. This dedicated team created the award-winning controller MADRIX 5. MADRIX products are proudly designed, engineered, and made in Germany and located in the beautiful city of Dresden. The MADRIX Team is creating high-quality products for you that are easy to use and reliable. Innovative features and an unrivalled integration of software and hardware bring you the best results.