Art mimics life

Visitors take photos in an art studio in the hutong area in central Beijing. The area plays host a variety of activities as part of Beijing Design Week.[Photo/Xinhua]

Speaking about Beijing Design Week, Wang Yudong, general manager of the event, says the week is a gathering of the design community.

It is now increasingly involved with a consumption and industrial upgrade that is taking place in China, and it intends to provide solutions for contemporary cities, he says.

Referring to the award, he says: "Although this is a new project, it is attracting a lot of participation. This indicates a clear interest in the Chinese market, and it is huge support to our industry upgrade."

Among the prizewinning projects on display at the exhibition that caught the eye were the Windclear nose filter, which protects the respiratory system.

Using innovative materials and design, the filter is easy to wear and effective in filtering polluted air. Moreover, it is almost invisible.

The Drinkable Book was another outstanding offering at the show.

The "book", which encourages behavioral change through its education content, is also an affordable and convenient water filter as its pages can be used as water filters.

Designed for use by the more than 2 billion people around the world who live on less than $2 per day, it needs as little as one penny a day to produce clean, safe water.

Each page can filter water for a month for one person, and one book can last for about a year.

Then there is the Second Aid disaster prevention kit, designed by Japanese designer Eisuke Tachikawa. It has been created for people who live in disaster prone areas.

Based on the experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the aid kit contains necessities to survive for 72 hours after a disaster.

A popular exhibit is the Fotile Sink Dishwasher, a 3-in-1 device that combines a kitchen sink, dishwasher, and fruit and vegetable cleaning machine. It is aimed at Chinese consumers.