Celestis in South Korea

“Design is design is not design” This year marks the 4th Gwangju Design Biennale in Gwangju, South Korea; it is the largest design exposition in the world. The theme this year is a variation on "the way that is the way is not always the way,” the opening line of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. "Design is design is not design" asks people to look at design with a new vision, to ask where design can be applied to modern inventions. Where do creativity and vision overlap? When is design used to create bias or exclusion? "Its emphasis is laid on understanding the trends of domestic and international design and cultural phenomena and expanding publicity."¹   With this in mind all of the design fields represented are not be separated from each other and labeled but rather merged into a larger aesthetic display. Celestis has Brendan McGetrick to thank for being present at this exceptional event. Mr. McGetrick is a curator for the UnNamed themed section which explores "the ways in which design alters perceptions, reinvents, and reveals hidden truths."²  Fields of focus include virtual communication, bioengineering, permaculture and more. Celestis has been incorporated into an afterlife design section and our service video plays on a large screen. Celestis certainly does alter perceptions and expectations about a funeral. The memorial spaceflight service for cremated remains has been called everything from fantastic, amazing, fulfilling, to creepy and strange. However you might choose to view the service, our goal here is to fulfill a dream, a desire, to provide for both the participant and the family. In the greater funeral world industry, it's still a young service and we are honored to be a part of such a large honoring of design. The event runs September 2 through October 23.   NOTES: ¹ - http://gb.or.kr/?mid=sub_eng&mode=01&sub=01 ² - http://www.scribd.com/doc/59274182/UNNAMED-DESIGN-Proposals-for-the-2011-Gwangju-Biennale