Kiwi coffin on show in New York

Author: Greg Holdsworth

Auckland designer and DINZ Member, Greg Holdsworth, is about to ship one of his Artisan coffins to New York to participate in the upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum.

The exhibition runs from May 14 2010 to January 9 2011 focusing on human and environmental issues across a number of different fields.

The coffin will also be featured in an associated publication for the Smithsonians 2010 National Design Triennial. The thrust is mainly about simplicity and bringing into question the 90,000 tons of steel, 3,000 tons of copper or bronze and 1.5 million tons of concrete that goes into American burials every year. That's not to mention enough oak, cherry and maple wood to build about 3500 homes.

While its true that customs in New Zealand mean that less precious resources are consumed, it seems just as bizarre to inter the deceased in a cocktail of wood-dust, glue and plastic masquerading as wood and metal. Another design feature is the low sides, allowing bodies to 'lie in state' rather than requiring mourners to peer down into a deep box. As stated in the Triennial publication:  The Return To Sender Artisan is an elegant, eco-iconic form that honours the deceased and allows their final footprint to be a small one.

The exhibition starts in May and runs until next January.

Press release is attached below:

Photo Courtesy to Amelia Jacobsen, East & Bays Courier - Green light for eco funerals

David Trubridge is also on the show at this three yearly survey of the best of global design.  David has included in the 2010 show one of the three light/seat pairings from his spiral islands set that was first shown in Milan two years ago.  The set, which won a Gold the Best Design Awards, is based on the many small pacific islands that can be seen with a cloud stationed above them.  The light form is made from two interconnecting spirals of polycarbonate.  The seat is a reflected identical form where instead the two spirals are made from upholstery and plywood.

Posted on: January 16, 2010