Ali Baba's magic carpet has nothing on this. A small and elegant audio system rotates, suspended in mid-air by pure magnetisation. Sustainable, biodegradable and cutting edge technology is put to the test in an exhibition of internationally award-winning utilitarian designs by globally renowned designers from Zhejiang Province, China.
A Chinese ambassador holds a magnetised egg. Photo: RNZ / Lynda Chanwai-Earle
Tao Design's block of angled wood looks deceptively simple until you touch it with a finger and it tips to become a bedside light, illuminating the space with its warm yellow glow.
Founded in 2004, Beladesign's wooden egg made of biodegradable bamboo sits on a surface. Suddenly a pile of paper clips move towards its base to become a perfect nest, a most "egg-ficient" desk cleaner with loads of cute-factor.
Elegant and minimalist to the max, Zen's wooden tea tray is set into what looks like a plastic tray. It turns out the whole set is made from biodegradable bamboo and will break down within six months of use.
The hollow duck-egg coloured porcelain holder is for your cell phone, just sit it into the slot and turn on your music. Suddenly it's a perfectly designed acoustic amplifier, with nothing more but the balanced curvature of the porcelain to create the amplification. Made by Keydo, a design brand founded in 2013, they feature designs of creative porcelain for the home, where the ancient morphs into the future.
Recently exhibited on Wellington's waterfront, the brilliant technology behind cutting edge utilitarian designs continue to tour internationally, winning major design exhibitions around the world, objects that are nothing short of ancient, innovative and cool.
For more information refer to the Sydney website where the exhibition is currently taking place.
