The Koffins are coming.
Koffins are a product, an artwork, a business, a protest.
Inspired by my dads death and the 'more you spend the more you love' attitude that extorted money out of people in their grief. Inspired by the Victorian-Style, MDF, wood-effect coffins with plastic fake-brass handles.
Put together they poison the planet, our souls and our aesthetic sensibilities.
and deny us the dignity of expressing our values in death.
Koffins developed to address ideological challenges around life and death, art, culture, and the funeral industry. Through a product.
21 Koffins will be exhibited at The Liverpool Oratory as part of DaDaFest 2018. These Koffins have been decorated through a national call-out. They are diverse statements and provocations that show alternative values to the Victorian Style death industry' and have been designed to make it possible for everyone to afford something meaningful. Good for the planet, good for your pocket and great for your soul.
Yup, I have never made a Koffin or any producible product before. But the Koffin team, advisors, manufacturers and partners have provided the best help possible.
Our Koffin is made from a purpose designed bio-polymer.
Its 100% natural and biodegradable
It produces no more CO2 than plants when they are growing.
The material has won awards for sustainability throughout its production - from source to future generations.
Its suitable for burning or burying
It takes up to 25st weight
It is the lightest coffin (13kilo) and one of the strongest.
It is stackable within itself so 10 Koffins take up the space of 1 traditional coffin reducing transport and storage requirements
The more insider -interesting facts are "it doesnt squeek and leak"(unlike baskets- think about it.
Its shape makes it inherently 10% wider than standard coffins (25% of people need American -Style Caskets now)-
It can be carried in the same ways you'd carry a 'normal' coffin - remember 85% of them have fake, not 'real' handles - ours has none.
Its made in the UK and about employing creatives locally.
It fastens together with 12 cam-locks that are made from the same material as Koffin- so no glues, no metal screws, no superfluous 'frills' - not a BOX or a BASKET - its coffin redesigned for the 21st century, and as strong as plastic.
Now we need your help to turn 4 years of development and production into a business to make this available for anyone who wants it, provides a wage for the creatives behind this and pays royalties to the ideas generators.
Yes, we are Kick-strarting.
From mid October our Kickstarter goes LIVE. With crowd campaign it means that we can ideally keep these as affordable as possible. Not about maximum profits but a fair price for the very best we can design.
Here is our journey in images over the last 6 months. Thank you to Arts Council England for supporting me.
OUR TEAM and people involved.
Clare Barry -co-director, Copywriter and Marketing Clare is heading up and social media and our Kick-starter campaign Mandy Phillips, Independent Celebrant, Business Management, psychologist, Chris Williamson, accountant and consultant financial management, inventor and logistics.
Our partners;
Design engineers RKDE Designs to take my concept and shape and material and make it work.
FabLab Liverpool John Mores University are developing 3D printed elements Custom Graffixs who are spray painting and hydro printing the Koffins Website developers - the amazing Design By Day. Sensor City, Finite Element Analysis.
DaDaFest 2018.
For the exhibition events
Amina Bihi. Photographer documenting the launch Ruth Dillon who will be Production Managing the ‘transportation of Koffins on foot’ Maria Olmos who’s developing our events that accompany the exhibition - talks, master-classes and debates. There will be more info on these in the next week.
Tom Rae Smith, Installation.
Our advisors: Professor John Hunt, Material Scientist, Helen Marraige, CEO of Artichoke, Daniel Glaser, Director of the Science Gallery London, Ruth Gould, Director of DaDaFest,
Jon Barraclough, artist and mentor
Jobey Marlowe, New product design initiative expert.
Hiren Patel. Risk Analyst and project development
Alan Parkinson. Financial advisor
The artists, designers and makers submitting their ideas for Koffin,
Hilary Prosser
Amanda Holiday
Bishaka Sarker
Nigel Johnson
Deborah Kelly
Simon Poulter
Draw and Code
Siobhan Harrison
Cassie Humphreys Massey
Dan Farrimund
Mandy Magurire
James Nixon
Clive Knowles
John Hunt
Ann Whitehurst
and those that wish to remain anonymous.
Thank you also to Mike (Stubbs) who paid our bills which has supported my art practice
