White Coffins on Display at Youth Design Festival – Visitors Can Try “Death for 2 Minutes”

Reported and photographed by You Tzu-ju / Kaohsiung

The 2015 Youth Design Festival kicked off energetically today (15th) at Pier-2 Art Center. With as many as 1,400 entries submitted, many of the student works on display are highly captivating. Among them are a visual interactive exhibit allowing visitors to experience the inside of a coffin, an “Airer Window” designed for drying clothes in urban apartments, and a BATH CHAIR that makes bathing easier for the elderly—each one well worth seeing.

 
▲ Lying in the coffin, feeling the flow of light and consciousness.

The interactive work “But I Forgot the Name of the Exhibition” caught the attention of many on-site visitors. This piece features a white coffin, into which the public can step inside to experience “death for 2 minutes.” This isn’t a dangerous attempt, but rather involves lying in the coffin, closing your eyes, and experiencing two minutes of darkness and silence. A reporter who tried it out said that although it only lasted two minutes, it felt dreamlike—as if drifting in a stream of consciousness—presented through a surreal flow of images amid the dark and flickering lights. “When the noise fades away, what can you feel in the silence?” asked designer Ning Sen. It’s an introspective, interactive exhibition, and future showings will be held in Taipei, Taichung, and other locations, also offering the coffin-lying experience.

But I Forgot the Name of the Exhibition
Location: 1st Floor, Warehouse 8, Pier-2


▲% Home environment design featuring creative spatial transformations.



The “Airer Window,” designed for drying clothes in urban apartments, is one of the recommended works by the organizers. Recognizing the limited space available for laundry in cities, this design places the drying area outside the window. It can automatically detect rain and deploy a rain cover, and also adjusts the drying method based on weather conditions. This impressive design thoughtfully integrates modern living spaces with practicality.

Airer Window
Location: 1st Floor, Warehouse 8, Pier-2


▲% Design tailored to the needs of a rapidly aging society.


Also featured is the BATH CHAIR, developed in response to the challenges of an aging society. As standing for long periods can be difficult for the elderly, and getting in and out of bathtubs can be strenuous, this design offers a seated bathing solution. Elderly users can sit on the chair and, when they wish to take a bath, pull out the U-shaped bar to adjust it for either knee-level or full-body soaking. This allows seniors to bathe comfortably while seated, saves space, and can even fit easily into a standard shower stall—a truly clever concept.

BATH CHAIR
Location: B3, Pier-2

The entire Youth Design Exhibition encompasses various categories such as Visual Communication Design, Three-Dimensional Modeling & Product Design, Digital Technology & Game Design, and Spatial Design. Each area showcases the diverse thinking and design concepts of students, hiding many imaginative spaces and interactive installations that are truly fascinating.