crQlr Awards Exhibition held in 5 cities in Japan and abroad
This year, the crQlr Awards Exhibition toured three cities in Japan—Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nagoya—along with Bangkok and Barcelona, with the aim of making circular design, a key component in achieving a circular economy, more accessible to the public. The exhibition featured award-winning projects from the crQlr Awards, which were established to promote sustainable design.
In its third edition in 2023, the crQlr Awards attracted 140 projects from 43 countries. The exhibition showcased select "Special Prize" and "Jury Prize" winners from this year's awards. Each event in the various cities highlighted projects that embody the principles of circular design, drawing significant attention from visitors.
Exhibition Dates
FabCafe Bangkok: January 27 - February 4, 2024
FabCafe Barcelona: March 1 - March 16, 2024
FabCafe Tokyo: March 1, 2024 - March 24, 2024
FabCafe Kyoto: June 11, 2024 - June 22, 2024
FabCafe Nagoya: July 2, 2024 - July 31, 2024
Three Special Prize Projects Practicing "New Relationship Design"
The projects that received the Special Prize at the crQlr Awards 2023 were showcased at each exhibition venue. As part of their award, these projects were also given the opportunity to exhibit and present at crQlr Summit 2024 at FabCafe Tokyo.
Eleonora Ortolani
『Guilty Flavours』
Project Summary:
Guilty Flavours is a radical proposal for how humans can harness our own bodies as machines to eliminate plastic forever – by eating it. Starting with vanillin, the molecule of vanilla flavour, this research project explores how we can realistically harness this process to create fully edible molecules transformed by living organisms. The result is the Guilty Flavor ice cream - the first real sample of food ever made containing an ingredient transformed from plastic waste.
URL: https://crqlr.com/crqlr-awards/2023/winners/guilty-flavours/
SEA VEGETABLE COMPANY
『Sea vegetable Circulation』
Project summary:
Sea Vegetable Company collects and studies seaweeds that are declining due to rocky shore scorch, revives them through land and sea cultivation with less environmental impact, and proposes new ways to eat seaweeds. They seek to preserve the seaweed-eating culture passed down from our ancestors while simultaneously creating a new culture around how we eat seaweed.
URL:https://crqlr.com/crqlr-awards/2023/winners/sea-vegetable-circulation/
SUNFAR Biotechnology Co., Ltd.｜REWOOD X DAWOKO
『REWOOD』
Project Summary:
After analyzing the overall forestry industry chain in Taiwan, the team discovered that the utilization rate of domestic timber is only 1%. Even though every year there is over 10 million tons of wood waste resulting from human pruning and natural winds, the wood is either sent directly to incinerators or processed inefficiently. The team then decided to establish the “REWOOD Forest Recycling Hukou Creation” system, designed to pass on the technology to the next generation of workstations, aiming to build a self-sufficient and complete forestry industry chain in Taiwan.
URL：https://crqlr.com/crqlr-awards/2023/winners/rewood/
Localized Exhibits and Events in Each City
The crQlr Awards Exhibition began at FabCafe Tokyo from March 1 to March 24, 2024, under the theme "New Relationship Design." The event highlighted special prize-winning projects, featured an online talk event titled "crQlr Summit 2024 TOKYO," and included a collaboration menu inspired by the "Sea Vegetable Circulation" project.
The exhibition then moved to FabCafe Kyoto from June 11 to June 22, 2024, where it showcased crQlr Awards-winning projects alongside the "Design Question for SX" Archives and introduced a collaborative drink in partnership with the "Sea Vegetable Circulation" project.
Finally, FabCafe Nagoya hosted the exhibition from July 2 to July 31, 2024, with a focus on the circular economy in the Tokai region of Japan. The exhibition featured interactive content such as stamps linked to Hangouts and a generator powered by ChatGPT. Additionally, the "crQlr Salon Nagoya," a talk and networking event aimed at deepening understanding of the circular economy and co-creating concrete initiatives, was held. The event was also lively with unique, Nagoya-localized programs, including the "Repent and Wrap Round: Oyakis of Remorse.."
Global Expansion of crQlr Awards Exhibition
The crQlr Awards also expanded their reach to international locations in 2024. A special crQlr Awards exhibition was held at FabCafe Bangkok from January 27 to February 4, 2024, as part of the Bangkok Design Week 2024 festival. The exhibition featured projects such as the "Nihon Kusaki Laboratory," which won the Special Prize for "Bottom-Up Activities" at the 2022 crQlr Awards. This project focuses on the effective utilization of Japan’s forest resources. The exhibition and the background of the project are covered in the interview article titled "Sustainably-sourced Japanese forests excite the palate at Bangkok Design Week 2024."
Additionally, at FabCafe Barcelona, from March 1 to March 16, 2024, the "crQlr Awards Exhibition BARCELONA: New Relationship Design" took place in conjunction with a kickoff event celebrating FabCafe’s relocation. The exhibition showcased award-winning projects from the crQlr Awards in both Europe and Japan, highlighting the importance of symbiotic relationships not only between companies but also with consumers, local communities, and the environment.
Design and Innovation Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future
The crQlr Awards Exhibition highlights the pivotal role of design and innovation in achieving a sustainable future. The global projects on display offer fresh approaches to promoting a circular economy and addressing social issues. The exhibitions in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nagoya also showcased specific initiatives tackling regional challenges, inspiring both participants and visitors.
The accompanying events at each venue brought together individuals passionate about circular design, fostering networking and knowledge sharing among professionals and creators from diverse fields. This exchange of ideas is helping to lay the foundation for a more sustainable society.
The crQlr Awards will continue to serve as a global platform for designers and innovators to collaborate, influence others, and inspire proactive efforts to build a sustainable future.
Related links
crQlr Website https://crqlr.com/
crQlr Instagram https://www.instagram.com/crqlr_award/
- crQlr Awards 2023 https://awrd.com/award/crqlr-2023
