Financial Times x Nikkei - Travelling Installation

2025 marked a special milestone for the Financial Times as it's the 10th anniversary of Nikkei’s ownership of the paper. To celebrate, Wallace Sewell were commissioned to design an installation that brought together the heritage of both institutions, one British and one Japanese, by creating woven panels for a touring installation.

The team were excited by the opportunity to intertwine cultures, colours and traditions while creating spaces for storytelling, relaxation and exchange. The project needed to honour ten years of Nikkei and the Financial Times, while also celebrating the creative dialogue between British and Japanese traditions.

The Financial Times is instantly recognisable by its soft pink pages, while Nikkei is known for its authoritative blue. These two colours became the foundation across the installation, with the panels gradually shift from pink to blue, guiding the viewer through the space from light to dark. The woven threads of both colours combine to create a visual metaphor for the partnership between the two companies.

In designing the installation, the design team looked to Japanese architectural traditions. The shoji screen divides space while allowing light to filter through, and noren curtains serve as thresholds between rooms. Both create a sense of intimacy and openness at the same time, and are used throughout traditional Japanese spaces.

Inspiration also drew from the distinctive newspaper itself. Each panel was designed with six columns separated by gutters, echoing the familiar layout of the printed FT. Contrasts of subtle pattern beside bold graphic detail mirror the relationship of text, image and headline on the pages of the newspaper. 
The design team wanted to further reference the newspaper in this project, so it was decided early in the project to experiment with weaving with paper. It was too delicate to use successfully alone but having sourced an innovative Japanese paper yarn that was blended with hemp, this provided the quality needed to manufacture the panels. The yarn was dyed, woven and processed at the mill in Lancashire - as always, the team at Mitchell Interflex embraced this experimental project with enthusiasm. The result was material that is both delicate and strong, with the feel of paper but with the durability needed for a large-scale, touring installation.

Using loose gauze weaves, created areas of transparency and windows within the panels. When suspended, these openings would layer visually, allowing visitors to see through in places from one panel to the next. The effect was immersive, with intimate spaces forming between the hangings.

As an international partnership, Nikkei and FT had events planned in Cannes, Washington and London. Each panel was carefully packed in flight boxes with specialist padding and identified by its own embroidered reference number, ensuring they could be installed securely in different locations around the world.

This Nikkei x Financial Times installation, demonstrates how textiles can connect people, cultures and ideas. Wallace Sewell are always open to new collaborations and look forward to exploring what the future holds.