At the heart of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, where the global community converges to “Design Future Society for our Lives,” a groundbreaking project is redefining the intersection of art, fashion, and technology. Under the overarching theme of fostering a sustainable society through emerging sciences and evolving technologies, the World Expo, running until October 13, 2025, serves as a vital platform for innovative co-creation. Among the most compelling installations is the “Zero Gravity Box,” a collaborative masterpiece by internationally renowned Japanese media artist Naoko Tosa and the captivating Albanian model, human rights activist, and performance artist, Elton Ilirjani, better known by his model name, HANKO.
The “Zero Gravity Box,” developed by Naoko Tosa’s Art Innovation Academia-Industry Joint Research Division at the Kyoto University Disaster Prevention Research Institute, with crucial cooperation from technology giants TOPPAN and Shimadzu Corporation, offers an unprecedented sensory journey. Designed to be experienced through parabolic flights, the installation meticulously replicates the unique environment of a mother’s womb before birth, reminiscent of a serene scuba diving experience. Within this space, participants are invited to regress to a primal state, becoming “newborns,” enveloped by the “zero-gravity Sound of Ikebana” and the rhythmic cadence of a mother’s heartbeat. It’s a profound, nostalgic simulation, crafted to evoke a sense of rebirth and a connection to universal origins.
Elton Ilirjani, a name now synonymous with boundary-pushing performance and advocacy within the fashion world, played a pivotal role in actualizing this futuristic vision. For the “Zero Gravity Box” project, Elton entered the immersive environment suited in an outfit meticulously designed by Naoko Tosa herself, his face painted a stark white adorned with striking blue crystals, evoking an otherworldly, ethereal presence that perfectly complemented the project’s futuristic narrative, with photos by Arun Nevader.
“The whole experience was reminiscent of being inside your mother’s womb, when you are an embryo, hearing the heartbeat of your mother,” Elton shared, reflecting on the profound impact of the installation. His words underscore the project’s ambition: to transcend mere artistic display and venture into the realm of a premonitory experience. “This experience is more than art and fashion, it’s the future. Weightlessness is something people will experience in the future, since people will travel to other planets.”
Elton’s involvement with the “Zero Gravity Box” is a natural extension of his pioneering work in advocating for genderless modeling and inclusivity within the fashion industry. A champion for universal beauty, he sees the runway not just as a platform for showcasing clothes, but as a stage for performative art. Influenced by trailblazing performance artists like Yoko Ono, Marina Abramović, and Michèle Lamy, Elton imbues his catwalk appearances with a distinctive touch, sharing a story about inclusive modeling and broadening definitions of beauty. His unique approach, often opening runway shows with slow, deliberate, enthralling movements, transforms a conventional fashion presentation into a captivating, thought-provoking spectacle.
This philosophy aligns seamlessly with the core tenets of the “Zero Gravity Box.” As Elton elaborated, the project inherently champions inclusivity. “There is no gender gap either which is perfect with my project, the genderless modeling. There is no gap in genders, weightlessness, smart mirrors, wonderful sounds, Embryo, its futuristic and together with the colors and how it was composed it was giving micro-gravity or zero gravity.” The weightless environment, by its very nature, dissolves traditional physical boundaries and societal constructs, creating a truly egalitarian experience.
For Elton, the personal resonance of the experience was palpable. “I’m proud to be part of this project. I could hear my heartbeat inside the box. I could remember being a fetus inside my mother. The future of life. It gave me a touch of the universe, it elevated me to another level.” His words capture the emotional depth and transformative potential of the “Zero Gravity Box,” positioning it as more than an exhibit, but as a glimpse into the future of human consciousness and interaction with advanced technology.
Elton Ilirjani’s journey to becoming a global fashion icon and performance artist, known affectionately as HANKO (his Albanian mother’s name), began organically in 2019. It all started with his discovery of Sam & Marvin’s fashion boutique, 3NY, in New York City, a haven for Asian designers rarely found in mainstream retail. Captivated by the unique designs, Elton, already a renowned human rights activist from Albania with a substantial 12 million followers on Instagram, began purchasing and showcasing these garments on his platform.
His posts, featuring the innovative designs and tagging the designers, quickly fostered genuine connections. This organic synergy evolved into invitations to walk for designers at prestigious fashion weeks, starting with BESFXXK, and soon expanding to other South Korean designers. Today, Elton has graced runways at major fashion capitals worldwide, including New York, Milan, Paris, London, Athens, Costa Rica, Miami, and Tokyo Fashion Weeks. Most recently at New York Fashion Week, he captivated audiences for Jemma Russo and Naoka Tosa, and has also walked for acclaimed designers like Greedelious and Malan Breton, in addition to the Ema Savahl runway show at Miami Swim Week, The Shows.
Naoko Tosa, the visionary behind the “Zero Gravity Box,” is a powerhouse in the world of media art. After earning her PhD from the University of Tokyo, she further honed her craft as an artist fellow at the Centre for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT from 2002 to 2004. Currently a distinguished professor at Kyoto University, Tosa’s artistic oeuvre is characterized by her masterful integration of Japanese tradition and culture with cutting-edge technology.
Her works have been showcased in esteemed institutions globally, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the New York Metropolitan Art Museum, and ARS Electronica. Her innovative approach earned her the L’Oreal Grand Prix art and science first prize in 1997, and she notably exhibited her artwork on a massive 250m x 30m LED screen at the Yeosu Expo in Korea in 2012. Appointed as a Japan Cultural Envoy by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, in 2016, Tosa’s works are held in the permanent collections of major museums such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York, The National Museum of Art, Osaka/Japan, and The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama/Japan.
The “Zero Gravity Box” at Expo 2025 Osaka is more than just an exhibition; it is a profound commentary on humanity’s journey into the future, a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, and a vibrant manifestation of the Expo’s commitment to “Designing Future Society for our Lives.” By merging the ancient, universal experience of the womb with the futuristic possibilities of weightlessness and space travel, Tosa and Ilirjani have created an experience that challenges our perceptions of reality, gender, and what it means to be reborn in an era of accelerating technological advancement. It underscores the vital role of art and performance in humanizing technology and exploring the deepest facets of our existence as we venture into uncharted territories, both on Earth and beyond.
