Here at mt masking tape, we are passionate about pushing the boundaries of possibility and are always looking for innovative ways to promote the multifunctional uses of mt-masking tape. There are no restrictions when it comes to our tape which is why we launched our very own installation programme which has been running since 2008.
In 2008 the team at mt Masking Tape was approached by renowned Art Director and Graphic Designer Koji Iyama. Koji came to mt with a very “ambitious plan” and proposed that the brand hold a “promotional exhibition to express mt’s most outstanding characteristic; that it can be taped and removed easily.”
Apart from showing customers how to use tape for small-scale items and conventional everyday use, Koji believed that the brand needed to introduce the product as something unlike anything else on the market. By decorating immense indoor and outdoor spaces and objects, Koji set out to show the customer that mt Masking Tape could be arranged in any way you imagine and in turn, created an imaginary world.
The first exhibition was held in a small gallery in Tokyo and sparked a surprising amount of attention for the mt brand. Koji has been staging global installations for us ever since and continues to create designs which are beautiful as well as functional.
Koji is inspired by everything that surrounds him… everything he sees and hears give him ideas for his next project. Here we showcase some of our favourite mt Masking Tape masterpieces from the amazingly talented Koji Iyama:
mt ex awashima, Japan
Washi tape’s promotional exhibition ‘mtex’ was held in an abolished school in a small island in Setouchi in 2013. The boat to the island, the pier and the wave-dissipating blocks were wrapped by ‘mt’ and directed visitors to the exhibition.
mt x Anthropologie, New York
As part of the 2014 New York Design Week, a promotional event was held at lifestyle store Anthropologie in New York City. Three shops located at Chelsea Market, SoHo, and Rockefeller Center opened at the same time. The colourful pedicabs decorated with “mt” tapes ran throughout Manhattan, and contributed to advertising the event.
mt Expo 2015, Kobe Japan
Koji was awarded a Black Pencil at the D&AD awards for the mt expo 2015 in Kobe, Japan which saw over 80,000 rolls of tape hanging from the ceiling.
mt x vitra
In June 2016 mt Masking tape collaborated with Swiss furniture manufacturer vitra to create a pop-up installation comprising of 5,200 triangular (!) mt tapes hanging from the ceiling. The special edition triangular tapes were inspired by the shape of the beautiful Dome that the installation was housed in.
mt x Foyles Bookshop, London
In 2017 mt Masking Tape teamed up with Foyles Bookstore to create their very first installation in London. Koji’s design saw the transformation of the Atrium of the flagship Charing Cross Road store as well as a show-stopping window display for shoppers and passers-by. The installation was inspired by the book store itself, taking inspiration from piles upon piles of books.
mt ex travels Japan: mt Train
MT masking tape’s promotional limited exhibition ‘mt ex’ travels Japan was held in Hiroshima. The tram you see here runs between Hiroshima main station and the exhibition space. Koji hijacked the tram and covered it with mt masking tapes so that not only the customers, but also the passengers who did not know about mt were enticed to the exhibition.
mt Sprout - Milan Design Week 2018
To mark that start of spring, Koji launched an exhibition of sprouting mt masking tapes to coincide with Milan Design Week.
