BEYOND 100 YEARS

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JUNE, 2016

issue #24

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This year BMW Group was celebrating it's 100th birthday. However, unlike celebrating by cherishing the old days and telling epic tales of their cars, they celebrated the next 100 years of BMW Group in advance. Which implies to question what will be their next 100 years and how will it lead the industry along with providing benefit to human in many different ways. Things that last for more than 100 years occupying our life physically and also mentally have some reasons. It might obviously be the radical innovation or groundbreaking technology, but on the other hand many of them are there being used because of different reasons. Not surprisingly, these things are honest to their presence and unobtrusive enough to live long in different time and places. From this we tried to curate a small collection of objects that contains value beyond 100 years. More to attract interest, comparing Korea (east) vs. German (west) based on our local experiences.

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TABLEWARES

This brass tableware (Bang-jja Yu-gi) is made by Korean traditional manufacturing method. It is very complicated an requires experienced skills to create the shape by hammering combination of copper and tin. Consequently, it is robust, long lasting and even adds gloss with time.

This butter dish is made of white porcelain for about 125 grams of butter, which saves space in the fridge and the butter keeps cool longer. Its soft rectangular shape and white glossy finish fits well in contrast with a piece of yellow butter.

CUPS

This Korean tea cup is made of white porcelain. The shape is concave to keep the heat lasting and has thicker profile on the upper area to provide better touch to the lips for pleasant drinking.

A typical 0.5 litre beer mug empty without any beer brand logos. In Bavaria, especially with Munich, you cannot have conversation about the city without beer and Octoberfest. This mug is used as a blank platform for different beer breweries also for uncommercial uses.

WRITING SUPPLIES

Inkstones (Byoru) are used to grind ink for writing and drawing in East Asia. They are manufactured from stones from different regions and ages. In the ancient times some inkstones used to have decorative elements to look more precious, but they gradually were reduced to their functional necessities and most of them became simple and minimal rectangles.

High quality dual pencil sharpener with collecting container and exchangeable blades made from aluminum. The fine cut faceted surfaces provide stable grip and the weight and volume per se of a massive aluminum adds presence when placed on a desk.

PEN & PENCIL

Monami 153 is one of the first 'design for all' mass produced industrial products of Korea. Minimal to the very last detail and form only following function, which makes the design timeless. We still easily find these in between people's fingers as much as we have spotted them back in the old days.

Staedtler Noris is a classic school pencil which has been widely used in European schools since it was born. It is iconic with its shape, color and even with sound of the lead rubbing on plain white paper.

Published on 30th of  June, 2016.