The Yilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau and Lanyang Cultural and Educational Foundation are hosting the 2017 Yilan Chair Design Competition and invite submissions from anyone interested in design.
The Competition came about as a vehicle to convey the passion and hospitality of the people of Yilan as well as the natural beauty of the county’s mountain forests. The original idea was to use innovative design in a way that connected to nature and daily life, while also reflecting the county government’s long term vision of developing Yilan into a “children’s dreamland” and “city of innovation.” The event has also been used as a focal point for the development of cultural and creative industry producing furniture, stationary and toys.
Three main prizes – Gold, Silver and Bronze – and eight Merit awards will be announced in both competition categories, in September 2017. A total of NT$560,000 (more than US$18,000) will be awarded in cash, together with certificates for the awarded individuals or teams.
The theme for 2017 is “Children’s Chair” and the challenge is to create educative and entertaining chairs designed specifically for children under 12 years of age.
The solicitation of works is divided into two categories: “Creative” (Group A) and “Practical” (Group B). In the “Creative” (Group A) category judges will be looking for children’s chairs that best relate the story of Yilan. The main objective in the “Practical” (Group B) category is to submit a work that can be mass produced and marketed.
All individuals with a passion for design irrespective of age, profession, place of residence or nationality are welcome to submit works. Individuals or teams can register to compete, though teams can have no more than three members.
Over the past four years, more than 2,600 works have been submitted and in 2016 a new record was set with works from 25 countries. The competition evolved from an international design competition into a major platform where talented designers can meet and exchange ideas.
