How did you become Co-creation Program Director of Expo 2025 Osaka?

Seiichi Saito: “The Japanese pavilion at Expo2015 Milan, on which I worked with Rhizomatiks, was awarded as best installation. The one for Expo2020 Dubai - of which I was creative director - won the Gold Award in the Exhibition category. I started thinking about the new Expo already in 2018, even before Japan won it.

I have always been concerned with giving a social edge to my work, harmonizing apparently opposite elements such as nature and innovation, craftsmanship and industry, creativity and business. Beyond the international pull effect and the entertainment and commercial role, for me Expo represents a unique opportunity to study and try new ways of living, to test sustainable solutions.

Since 2018 I have therefore created a People Living Lab, of which I was the director: a creative action that engaged institutions and companies on how to give a realistic image of a future society not only through thought, but also through action. The theme - Designing Future Society for Our Lives, "Designing the future society for our lives" is a spin off of that co-creation exercise. Hence, the task of director of the co-creation programs of Expo 2025 Osaka".

Planning for the future is always the center of Expos. What is the focus of the one in Osaka?

Seiichi Saito: "The sustainability of society also has a lot to do with the intelligent use of resources and the management of social problems of the various countries.

In Japan we are among the first countries to have to deal with issues such as the aging of the population and the consequent lack of workforce, the poor management of natural resources, the disappearance of ancient knowledge (such as craftsmanship) , the fragmentation of the economy (with 97% of business turnover generated by a negligible percentage of giants and the remainder of the mini-companies dividing the crumbs).
These are issues that arise here but will reach the whole world: Japan is a laboratory in which to experiment with possible solutions from which other countries can draw information and knowledge".

What types of solutions are you talking about?

Seiichi Saito: “A differentiation of services, the digitalization of society, the intelligent use of robots. A transformation in terms of optimization which, however, is carried out with tact, with empathy. We must not become a dystopian world but a better world: more human but supported by a technology that helps but does not invade."

What is the Co-Design Challenge that you direct and that we will see at Expo 2025 Osaka?

Seiichi Saito: “The Co-Design Challenge of Expo 2025 Osaka is a program that invited institutions and small businesses to create a new concept that focuses on the project understood as an activity with a positive social impact, to be carried out in co-creation (therefore associating different people and realities, working as a collective) and requiring a minimum capital investment.
The aim was to allow small companies and artisan businesses, local institutions, designers, engineers and inventors to exploit Expo as an opportunity to carry out real projects, to be put to the ground, also involving partners international.

Among the selected projects there will be a system to produce helmets from waste, to reuse waste water, to separate waste. And also preparation plans to deal with environmental disasters, to push consumers to recycle technological devices. Among the various initiatives, to give space to the many companies that produce seating, instead of choosing just one supplier I asked each of them to provide us with two chairs, to give visibility to as many companies as possible. The idea is to network."

I notice that when you talk about the future you put society at the center, rather than the environment. The opposite is often done...

Seiichi Saito: “I think it's a mistake. To live better we must start from the problems, even the macro ones, that impact people. The environment is one of these but not the only one. For example, restoring tone and importance to craftsmanship, bringing it back to having an economic and social role, is a priority for Japan. Which would also have an impact on the environment, encouraging local and manual production and giving new life to rural areas. These are themes that I have also dealt with with my artistic installations."

Is this why your installations are site-related?

Seiichi Saito: “Exactly. I'm not a museum person: I like to bring art to people and use it to say something. With the “Jiku” project (which means access, ed.) I created a series of installations that use light to reveal what is no longer there due to urban development: ancient streets that have disappeared, trade routes that were fundamental, forgotten places of worship. The aim is to express an axis that gives perspective to history, connect the past with the present and also think about rediscovering value in the territory while planning the future. Maybe we got rid of too many things that could be useful to us today."