Gold piggybank from the Chinese Stuff exhibition at Liangdian Design Center

Continuing on the trend of presenting everyday objects curated through a designer's lens, three exhibitions curated specifically for Beijing Design Week examined the aesthetics of common Chinese objects as artifacts for exploration.

Bye Bye Disco opened up a popup shop on the outskirts of Dashilar for design week. One of China's first "retro shops," Bye Bye Disco is the brainchild of Pang Kuan of the Beijing rock band New Pants. The popup store sold Feiyue kungfu shoes, hot water thermoses (also seen in the Chinese Stuff exhibition), retro Chinese board games and our favorite: Fashion Poker playing cards, in an open air hutong tucked behind the more touristy main street.

Bye Bye Disco 38-2 Nanluoguxiang Hutong Dongcheng District Permanent Location

Fashion Poker playing cards

Traditional Chinese board games

Hot water thermos

Lighters, army knives and aluminum toys

The wildly popular Chinese actress Zhou Xun worked with Beijing Design Week Creative Director Aric Chen to curate the exhibition, Silent Heroes, centered on oral histories and artifacts taken from the actress' childhood. Ray Lei and Chai Mi's beautiful illustrations tied together objects, recorded voiceover narration and photography in the surreal environment of a factory in Dawailangying Hutong. The curators invited local residents of Dashilar Hutong to share their own memories of select objects including bamboo steamers, wooden chairs, a chamber pot, press punch and a geometric pocket puzzle imbuing the objects with specific histories and meaning.Silent Heroes: Objects, As told by Zhou Xun Illustrations by Ray Lei and Chai Mi Dashilar Design Hop No. 8 Dawailangying Hutong Xicheng District

Bamboo Steamer

Plastic Slippers and a Comb

Punch Press

Chamber Pot

The Chinese Stuff exhibition at the newly opened Liangdian Design Center brought to life the popular book of the same name. The 120 artifacts on view provide an interesting snapshot of the aesthetics of every day life in China. Amongst my favorite objects: an electric fly swatter, ashtray in the shape of the Olympic "birdsnest" stadium, chopstick dispenser, Erguotou liquor, electric water heater, spittoons, sun visors and a lowtech but ubiquitous stool found throughout the streets of Beijing and in Chinese homes.

Chinese Stuff Liangdian Design Center Dongsishitiao 94 Doncheng District Through October 10th

Erguotou liquor

A gas-powered rickshaw

Electric flyswatter

Hot water thermos

Chopstick Dispenser

Sun Visor

The ubiquitous stool. Low tech, low cost and found on every street in Beijing

Embroidered shoe inserts

Classic spittoon

Trikets such as this can commonly be found in Chinese homes. Appropriately, China launched its first module, Tiangong-1, into space last Thursday, September 29th marking the official beginning of the Chinese space age.