Cao Zhen caozhen0806@126.com Design buffs and lifestyle enthusiasts should head to the “Long Life Design: Thinking and Practice 2000-2020” exhibition at the OCT Art & Design Gallery where a wide range of Japanese and Chinese products are on display. “Long life design,” a concept developed by Japanese design activist Kenmei Nagaoka, helps educate consumers to develop rational consumption habits and examine and even correct the prevailing design philosophy based on capitalism. Nagaoka’s D&DEPARTMENT retail shops in Japan sell products that have a timeless appeal. His D&DEPARTMENT project also discovers locally unique designs and spreads their appeal through running shops with local partners in Japan. On the first and second floors of the OCT Art & Design Gallery, visitors will find an assortment of D&DEPARTMENT products, including kitchenware, decorative items and models of Japanese food. If you are a fan of an elegant Japanese lifestyle and household products, either ceramic bowls or packaging paper, this is a good place to visit. Information on D&DEPARTMENT sections gives visitors more insights on “long life design.” 60VISION is an initiative in conjunction with other companies to reproduce products once popular in the 1960s due to their classic designs and high quality, to connect the classics with the present. Nippon Vision starts from Japan’s local specialty industries and traditional crafts, and conducts traveling activities nationwide to promote regional design. The d SCHOOL section is a regularly held seminar on “long life design” and the d design travel magazines introduce hidden local gems in 47 Japanese prefectures, emphasizing their design hotspots, products, artists and craftspeople. And the Food Research Institute promotes food culture with the farm-to-table system. Each D&DEPARTMENT shop has a cafe that sells local food and uses food to convey a sense of regional culture and scenery. The third floor of the OCT Art & Design Gallery displays a selection of Chinese items, such as Bishan Crafts Cooperatives’ household products, klee klee’s textile products made by Dulong ethnic women in Yunnan Province and engraft’s biodegradable cutleries. Bishan Crafts Cooperatives was founded by Chinese rural construction practitioner Zuo Jing from the 1964 site of the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives of Bishan Village in Huangshan City, Anhui Province in 2017. It has been transformed into a multi-functional cultural space that incorporates craft workshops, retail, dining, exhibitions, publications and artist-in-residence programs. In 2018, Bishan Crafts Cooperatives started a collaboration with D&DEPARTMENT and opened a store in the Anhui village to mutually focus on handcraft and folk craft creations. Co-curated by Nagaoka and Zuo, the exhibition is organized by Zuo Jing Studio and D&DEPARTMENT in collaboration with the Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation and under the auspices of Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Co. Ltd. and the Japan Foundation. A special d SCHOOL event will be staged in the midst of the exhibition to showcase sustainable products and activities in Shenzhen. A D&DEPARTMENT pop-up shop is open at a salon next to the gallery during the exhibition. Dates: Until Sept. 12 Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., closed Mondays Tickets: 15-30 yuan, free on Tuesdays Venue: OCT Art & Design Gallery, Nanshan District (南山区华•美术馆) Metro: Line 1 to OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C | 