Author Archives: MaryFrances Knapp (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

As Time Goes By: Chinese Designers Zijina Li and Xueping Chen’s “43 Minutes With Grandma”

Designboom’s Design for Death competition features an interactive urn for cremated remains.

Chinese designers Zijina li and Xueping Chen want to redesign the way we look at urns and cremated remains. Their design, “43 Minutes With Grandma,” was featured by Designboom’s Design for Death competition last April and makes urns much more … Continue reading

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The Reversible Destiny Foundation: Architecture as an Extension of Life After Death

Japanese designer Shusaku Arakawa melds death and design in collaboration with Madeline Gins

Japanese designer Shusaku Arakawa (1936-2010) declared that he and his partner Madeline Gins would never die. The duo pushed the boundaries of design for over 40 years, melding philosophy with architecture in buildings like Bioscleave House until Arakawa’s death at … Continue reading

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LSD Research Makes Biggest Headway in 40 Years

Clinical trials reveal therapeutic effects of psychedelics on those nearing death

Timothy Leary may be dead, but research into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics is thriving once again. Specifically, recent studies have explored the potential for LSD to ease anxiety and depression for those overcoming addiction, or nearing death. In the early … Continue reading

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Jonas Dahlberg to Design Norway’s July 22, 2011 Memorial Site

The Swedish designer plans “an active and poetic” memorial for victims of the 2011 Norway attacks.

  Today, the immediate grief and exhaustion following Norway’s tragic July 22, 2011 attacks have passed. But as Swedish designer Jonas Dahlberg says, this doesn’t mean “the wound” of the painful deaths has been forgotten. If anything, says Dahlberg, the … Continue reading

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Belgium Discusses Legalizing Euthanasia for Terminally Ill Children

Controversial bill proposes euthanasia for terminally ill kids in Belgium

When we discuss what it means to “die a good death,” the question of how we plan our end of life becomes controversial when we broach the topic of whether or not we have the right to decide when we … Continue reading

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“The Unity of Life and Death” by Otto Freundlich

Killed by the Germans in WWII, Jewish artist Freundlich left behind an oeuvre that transcends his unjust death

There’s a prevailing sense of warmth in Jewish artist Otto Freundlich’s The Unity of Life and Death (1936-38). Curved, colorful squares build on one another in the abstract oil painting, inspiring a sensation I can only compare to seeing holiday … Continue reading

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