What can design do?

Many people are fighting as hard as they can, to return to normal everyday life, to restore their hearts, and to build the future.

What can design do?
We need to keep answering this question from now on.

The Japan Graphic Designers Association (JAGDA) will hold an exhibition intended to present gifts of handkerchiefs to children in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, to help them feel a little better, as part of its project to aid reconstruction after the earthquake.

Every time a visitor to the exhibition buys a handkerchief, another handkerchief with the same design will be sent to a child.

First, the exhibition will be held at the Taipei World Design Expo to be held in October, in Taipei, Taiwan, along with a presentation for the world’s designers intended as an expression of thanks for the support for reconstruction Japan has received.
At the same time, exhibition and sales will start in Japan as well, with the exhibition held across Japan through the end of the year.

Design definitely makes people happy. We would like to work together to prove this concept.
Be sure to keep your eye on this activity, Japan’s one of the largest creative charity project,
as it demonstrates to the fullest extent the power of JAGDA as a national organization.

Description
・Theme:
Handkerchiefs for children in areas severely affected by the earthquake and tsunami in March, from graphic designers all over Japan. It’s a “Buy One, Give One” model so if you buy a handkerchief, another one with the same design will be given to a child in Tohoku.(Plans call for the gift handkerchiefs to be produced following completion of the exhibition and distributed next spring together with the start of the new school year.)

・Exhibits: Square handkerchiefs with sewn edges（450mm×450mm, 100% cotton）
・Exhibitors: 586 graphic designers who are JAGDA members
・Sales: 1,500 yen per handkerchief (tax-included / shipping cost excluded).
Spot sale at the Tokyo exhibition. At other venues, Orders will be taken (online shop).
・Special website: Planned for release mid-October
(will be announced on the official JAGDA website)
・Organizer: Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc.（JAGDA）
・Production: Yaezawa Co., Ltd.

Exhibition tour
・Osaka: Sunday, 9 – Monday, 31 October　11:00-23:00 / Admission Free
BREEZE BREEZE, 33F
*Related event of “Creative Expo 2011 autum”
*Mainly exhibit 101 works by Kansai area members.
*Special sales campaign from 9 through 10 October.

・Taipei: Friday, 22 – Sunday, 30 October　10:00-18:00 / Admission Free
Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall
*Invited exhibitor at a joint exhibition of 2011 IDA Congress Taipei
(Icograda/Icsid/IFI; alliance’s inaugural event)

・Sapporo 1: Saturday, 22 – Sunday, 30 October　10:00-20:00 / Admission Free
4pla Hall, 4pla 7F

・Sapporo 2: Wednesday, 2 – Sunday, 6 November　10:30-18:00 / Admission Free
Gallery A, Hokusho University Northern Regions Academic Information Center (PORTO) 1F

・Nagoya: Wednesday, 16 – Sunday, 27 November
11:00-19:00 (Last day until 17:00) / Free entry *Closed on Tuesday, 22 November
Design Gallery, International Design Center Nagoya

・Tokyo: Thursday, 10 – Tuesday, 22 November　10:00-20:00 / Admission Free
Nihonbashi Takashimaya
*For the space reason, 145 works are exhibited.
*Handkerchief will be sold on site. (when out of stock, subscription sale will take place.)

Friday, 18 – Sunday, 25 November　11:00-19:00 / Admission Free
Tokyo Midtown Design Hub
*Opening party will be held at 19:00-21:00 Friday, 18 November
*Handkerchief will be sold on site.

・Nagaoka: Saturday, 19 – Sunday, 27 November　9:00-17:00 / Admission Free
Gallery, The Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art
*”The JAGDA New Designer Award Exhibition” will be held simultaneously.

・Sendai: Thursday, 16 – Saturday, 18 December
10:00-18:00 (Last day until 17:00) / Admission Free
Sendai Media Theque
*Will be held during “The 12th Design Grand-prix TOHOKU”

・Gifu: Wednesday, 1 – Tuesday, 14 February / Admission Free
Active G 3F　G.COM Gallery

・Miyazaki：Monday, 23 January – Thursday 2, February / Admission Free
Art Center Miyazaki

*Sapporo exhibitions will be titled differently in Japanese.
*Several exhibition tours will be planned in other cities. Details will be announced on this page.

Related event
Mr. Osamu Fukushima, Mr. Kashiwa Sato and Mr. Kazufumi Nagai, participants for the exhibition will host talk-show on the occasion of “Tokyo Midtown DESIGN TOUCH 2011” relating to the exhibition theme, demands in affected areas, and the possibility of social contribution by graphic design.

Date: Saturday, 29 October at 13:00-14:00
Venue: Tokyo Midtown Conference (Midtown Tower 4F)
Title: “Design Makes Smile”

For more details: DESIGN TOUCH web site