We often ask ourselves: what is the real function of design? Beyond its surface purpose, whether communication or aesthetics, design acts as a mechanism to obscure its own framework, transforming an unseen foundation into a vehicle for meaning. In this way, it becomes a kind of “true lie”, constructing narratives that feel credible and tangible, even when detached from reality. Its power lies not in reflecting truth, but in reshaping it into something that can be believed, regardless of its origins.
As we enter the second year of ENTERPRISE, we have moved into a new phase. While the first phase examined structures of collaboration, how associations form with other artists, how mechanisms of art handling operate, and how performative objects shape cultural production, this second phase turns inward. Following our incorporation process, we began to reflect on corporate identity not only as a legal or administrative form, but as an aesthetic and performative structure. It is a framework designed to generate credibility, coherence, and value. The “Corporation,” which emerged in the 20th century as the pinnacle of production, continues to dominate today, extending its influence into nearly every aspect of life. Its opaque and pervasive logic compels us to examine its mechanisms more closely.
CORE takes this inquiry into space. Staged as a corporate showroom for ENTERPRISE and presented at TRAPEZ, a former industrial management site, it adopts the visual and linguistic tropes of corporate environments in order to mirror and critique the systems it mimics. The project focuses on the performative nature of corporateness, on how brands manufacture depth and significance, and how identity is staged through surfaces, tone, and choreography. By working with these familiar formats, we aim to expose their fragility, not as fully formed truths, but as placeholders. These are systems that demand to be filled, yet often remain empty.
Design does not provide solutions. Instead, it mirrors the fragile, precarious state of our current systems, revealing the vacancy at their core.
Text: Lark Ring - Taiga Nakazaki