PANTONE Presents Color Of The Year 2023 For Self-Expression Without Restraint

Introducing “an unconventional shade for an unconventional time,” PANTONE has unveiled its choice for Color Of The Year 2023: PANTONE 18-1750 ‘Viva Magenta’. 

The nuanced crimson-red tone, meant to symbolize optimism, power, and experimentation, hopes to encourage creatives with the same rebellious spirit to express themselves fearlessly and without restraint. 

Taking care to be assertive but not aggressive, the carmine red doesn’t immediately dominate the field of vision, but rather, takes on a subtler “fist in a velvet glove” approach, slowly drawing you in with its dynamism. 

“PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known. Rooted in the primordial, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, it galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the PANTONE Color Institute.

To bring the essence of PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta to life, the company worked with longtime partner Huge, using the artificial intelligence tool Midjourney, to imagine the color in a visual representation. 

The team fed the art generator with messages and ideas the color evoked, resulting in a “bold and brave statement” that invites creatives “into an optimistic and endless new ecosystem to be explored.” 

In fact, PANTONE and Huge then tapped on experiential art firm ARTECHOUSE to actually create this ecosystem in the metaverse, aptly dubbed “the Magentaverse.” 

Within the Magentaverse, you’ll be able to explore the immersive experience first-hand, filled with different rooms of textures and interactions—visual, auditory, and tactile—that portray the spirit of PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta in the new frontier of innovation. 

The partnership will also be bringing the exhibition to the real world at ARTECHOUSE Miami starting December 3, where guests can wade through color explorations in design, space, and technology with displays by Motorola, Lenovo, and more. 

[via PANTONE / Huge, images courtesy]