One of the impressive exhibitions in the entire event was “Bag Packer”, which was design by Velo, a member of ANTI SYSTEM PRODUCTS. “Bag Packer” is a tool holding sleeves of T-shirts, tank tops and shirts. If you hold sleeves of your clothes with rubber hard enough, it transforms into a bag so easily.

You can use clothes which you don’t wear any longer. You can also use them as bags to reduce the baggage volume making the travel more comfortable. “Bag Packer” asks if a recent trend, “to make eco-bags” is really necessary in terms of ecology. Velo is known as a “destruction artist”, destroying common sense and value in world around us. When I met his works and knew a concept of this work, my view of ecology movement was destroyed as well. Though his work, “Bag Packer”, he also destroyed my viewpoint on ecology.

“Stitch and Sew” won an award for the designer section of this year. Most of their works are goods in a daily life such as a bag, a mirror, a pendant light and tableware. To use it permanently, they intend to design something flexible. It looks like a casual design, however, in understanding the concept, their products seemed to be slightly different from other products.

“organ + ENOUGH” was awarded a prize of the shop section of the year, suggesting a concept “life with shoes” as a choice of new lifestyles for Japanese people. If Japanese accept “life with shoes”, they would find a new height of eye levels and feel a new touch of the foot with shoes in the house. They taught me that it is more important to find your own lifestyle than to remain stereotypes.

DESIGNING is getting larger in its scale every year. There were so many events and exhibitions, and new designers and shops participated in DESIGNING 2008. What kind of various works and designs do we meet in next year? I am looking forward to the 5th show in 2009.

DESIGNING 2008
Date: April 25th – 29th, 2008
Place: IMS, VIORO etc, 50 shops and galleries in Fukuoka city
https://www.designing10.jp