There are two major acts of violence against nature involved in Christmas tradition. Selling living carps, which are one of the most important dish during Christmas Eve and cutting hundreds of thousands firs and pines for Christmas Trees. Most ironic is that Christmas Tree is a symbol of reborn, living and fertility, while - after decorating our houses for few days - it is mostly thrown out in the garbage. Although many people don't bother that, maybe it is a good time to start “a new secular tradition”. It doesn't cost much yet it makes difference.

What are the alternatives?
First – not to buy a living carp. Bought dead one would taste the same and you wouldn't have to practice killing a being right before you celebrate Jesus birthday with your family. (Personality, I truly believe that most people don't like killing).
Secound – use an artificial plastic Christmas tree (which would decompose thousands of years) or one of the recyclable one.

Have you visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts within last year, you might have seen Fractal.MGX table by Materialise.MGX. It was designed by WertelOberfell Platform in collaboration with Matthias Bär in 2008/2009 and it is really impressive.

The designers from WertelOberfell are strongly interested in new technologies and manufacturing processes. Their works combine the experiments with computer used as a source of inspiration for design with the logic and beauty of organic forms and the reality of product design. Fractal table is a living example of their fascinations.

My feelings for insects appearance are ambivalent. It is a combination of enchantment, anxiety, aversion and  fascination. However, products inspired by insects parts or shapes usually arouse more unambiguous feelings in me. Hence my conclusion, that some parts or aspects of insects body are odious and others are intriguing or beautiful. 

The Dragonfly.MGX pendant light by WertelOberfell Platform is undoubtedly interesting and original and it draws inspiration from the curved honeycomb structure of dragonfly eyes and their optical qualities. The designers were especially  fascinated with its complex three dimensional array of photoreceptor cells or, in this case, light emitting cells.

Forest is inexhaustible source of inspiration for designers. Trees, trunks, leaves, wild animals reflect in colours, shapes and structures … I guess many people misses nature, especially when they live in a big city.