CHASING KITSUNE

Kitsune, a mythical fox in Japanese culture, possesses people and only reveals its true form in shadow or reflection. The fox is cunning and comes out at night, rarely seen. Our young designers used this idea to create their version of a Yatai – a Japanese food truck – for the 2011 State of Design Festival and its Design That Moves theme. The truck, which appeared to be a normal truck by day, adapted to each of its evening locations by revealing its true form – a series of boxes that spilled out from the truck and then pack away like a babushka doll inside. A team from Schiavello fitted out the truck and glow printing techniques by Seesaw Design were used as a final touch in the reveal. In order to find it, people had to download the festival's iPhone app or follow Chasing Kitsune's Facebook or Twitter pages, all of which revealed its location. Teaser images and status updates were posted online in the lead up to the festival, creating quite a buzz. Once people "found the fox" – passing by during their travels or chasing it online – they were treated to delicious Japanese food by Mopho Noodle. Half the fun was finding it but Chasing Kitsune was more than a game – it encouraged people to ponder qualities of space and enjoy an environment that can only be created by contemporary design.