Pantone has today unveiled its Color of the Year for 2023. Viva Magenta is an earthy crimson red that hopes to keep us grounded in nature as we increasingly move into virtual worlds. In an unusual twist, the shade was brought to life with the help of AI.

Every December, the creative community waits in anticipation of Pantone’s annual announcement. What will its colour experts determine as the shade to describe the next 12 months? One that reflects the changing shifts of culture and our modern world? The answer is revealed each December, and it’s always very much in the zeitgeist. The choices often divide opinion, being as they’re so subjective. But this time, we’ll watch with further interest as Pantone reveals it has turned to AI for the first time to help demonstrate this year’s vibrant colour.

For 2023, the Pantone Color of the Year is PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta. Described as “brave and fearless”, it’s a fiery yet non-aggressive shade that hopes to emit optimism and joy. It sits between warm and cool tones, making it a hybrid colour choice for designers. As Pantone describes it: “Powerful and empowering, it is an animated red that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint. Audacious, witty, and inclusive of all, Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same rebellious spirit.”

The duality of the carmen red is supposed to reflect where we sit between the physical and virtual. It’s no surprise, then, that Pantone worked with its longtime creative partner Huge to use the AI generative tool Midjourney and create a visual manifestation of Viva Magenta. The resulting immersive world, Magentaverse, explores the connections between nature and technology.

“As virtual worlds become a more prominent part of our daily lives, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real,” says Leatrice Eiseman from the Pantone Color Institute.”PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family. It is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family and one of the strongest and brightest the world has known. Rooted in the primordial, it reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature galvanises our spirit, helping us build our inner strength.”

As always, Pantone looks to our collective mood, the changing times and where we might be heading next. “The last few years were transformative in many ways in terms of people’s sense of self and the way well-being, priorities and identity are being thought about,” adds Pantone’s Laurie Pressman. “As a result, space has been created where we are free to explore and be accepted for exactly who we feel we are, whether in a cybernetic universe, a conventional space, or a magical blend of both. We are creating a dynamic world that encourages experimentation, leverages the virtual within the physical realm and emboldens our strength and spirit to explore groundbreaking possibilities.”

Building on the Magentaverse, Pantone and Huge collaborated with Artechouse, a leader in innovative, technology-driven experiential art, to design a unique exhibition that allows anyone to explore this virtual world first-hand. It features immersive rooms with textures and interactions that plunge visitors into an array of visual, auditory, and tactile experiences – all in the spirit of PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta.

It’s the first time that Pantone has brought its Color of the Year to life in this way. This month, you can experience the show at Artechouse Miami as part of Art Basel Miami Beach.

Elsewhere, Pantone has collaborated with various partners, such as surface pattern design experts Spoonflower, to unveil special designs by six independent artists featuring a custom colour palette. And Hydrow has launched five new colours of its Wave Rower for fitness fanatics, all inspired by Viva Magenta.

To find out more about PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta, visit www.pantone.com. What do you think? Will you use the animated red in your designs?

• Historical Inflation Chart: 10-Year Rolling Average 1872-2022
• Why Are Rugs So Expensive? How To Pick The Best Rug?