The art of inventing strange things originated in Japan in the 1990s (chindogu means “weird contraption”)*.
Passion did not pretend to be serious. Chindogu fans created outlandish designs: mini umbrellas to protect shoes from the rain or a fork with a fan to cool noodles. They did not strive for profit or benefit, getting satisfaction from the very process of creativity and the exchange of ideas. But gradually analogues of chindogu began to appear in other countries. After all, they answer the main request of today’s consumer culture: «Surprise me.» We value the unique and exotic more than the standard and practical.
* For more details, visit chindogu.com