Planting Peace

Project Objective: To promote a message of worldwide peace through graphic art and design installations.
Designers: Yuji Tokuda and Junya Ishikawa
Design Solution: Launched in 2005、Retired Weapons is a cross-media design collective working to promote peace through everything from web initiatives to cake decorating. Their signature pieces are highly graphic silhouettes of assault rifles and handguns whose barrels spout cheery、pink flowers. Rather than a quiet meditation、each Retired Weapons exhibition is (literally) an interactive party、anchored by a life-sized inflatable tank that the designers encourage kids to play on. Party-goers are encouraged to write messages of togetherness that are pinned up all around the exhibition、and 「Seeds of Peace」 are handed out to be planted at home. Outside of their exhibitions、Retired Weapons relies on participants to distribute their message through cellphone graphics、e-letters and word-of-mouth. The overall effect is refreshingly straightforward、happy and ego-free – fitting for the life of a retiree.