Industrial Design bar cohen | sand to sand

i’m pretty sure the fact that i miss the mediterranean ocean so much had me skip a beat when i first stumbled upon “sand to sand”. “sand to sand” is a series of sand products, ecologically and environmentally friendly, designed by bar cohen.
last year, with her graduation project (out of the industrial design department at shenkar college), bar began her journey with sand. she designed a series of disposable beach toys that were made out of… yep, sand.
the project was an opportunity to offer an alternative to the playful experience at the beach and while doing so, gave up the use of plastic that pollutes the ocean and the environment.
the toys dissolved in water within a few hours and became part of the soft sand again, thus closing the circle and leaving no ecological fingerprints.
thanks to covid-19, bar decided that it’s the perfect timing to develop the next phase of the project and so, she created a series of lucky coins or charms. one for good health and luck, an antivirus coin and a karma one.
as we all know by now and much more fiercely than before, the pandemic made us realize that nothing in life is certain. that life is fragile and sometimes stops unexpectedly… during these difficult times, when most of us feel sorry for ourselves or out of luck, bar decided to research the meaning of luck. to find an answer, she started reading about eastern cultures, where “lucky coins” are an integral part of the culture. she found out that in some cultures there is a tangible object that symbolizes luck, and so she created the coins out of sea sand, to function like an actual coin but not quite. instead of throwing a coin to the fountain while wishing for your most secret and desirable wish, you’ll be doing the same, and will experience a meditative kind of moment, by tossing it into the ocean and witnessing it while it dissolves.
i know i could spend hours looking at this precious coins, turning back to their previous self, leaving no mark in nature but most certainly leaving a big mark deep inside.
fyi, this is not a drill, you can purchase your very own sand coin. i kid you not.