Art mimics life

A vintage cars exhibition at the China Millennium Monument.[Photo/Xinhua]

The dishwasher can wash, dry and sanitize dishes in one step, while saving energy and water.

Other notable exhibits include the Second Skin, developed by designers from the MIT Media Lab, Zhejiang University and the Royal College of Art.

It is a smart garment made with biological materials.

The garment transforms according to the wearer's own sweat and heat. It allows sweat to evaporate and cools down the body thanks to the special material.

Vehicle owners also have something to cheer about at the exhibition. The Service Robot for Car Market provides car owners with on-site services like washing, polishing, waxing and interior cleaning. So car owners no longer need to go to the service centers.

For notebook fans, the Lenovo Yoga Notebook is on show. The notebook uses the lightest carbon-fiber material available.

The opening of the exhibition was followed by a salon that was themed "Internet+", in which participants discussed the impact of internet technology on the design industry.

Speaking at the salon, Song Jianming, vice-dean of the China Academy of Art, says that the emergence of the internet has provided a huge amount of resources for designers.

"The internet makes things easier for the design industry, from the research stage and communication to 3-D printing, funding channels and marketing," he says.

But Zeng Hui, deputy director of Beijing Design Week's organizing committee, says that it has also had some negative effects.

"To some extent, the internet has affected the organic growth of the manufacturing industry, which we should be cautious about."

Lee Soon-in, president of the Seoul Design Center, says that the internet has changed design education in South Korea, where it is common for students to realize their ideas with 3-D printing.

"The internet also allows designers to access resources online and find new ways to raise money," he says.

Contact the writer at sunyuanqing@chinadaily.com.cn