iPhone的保护套成了艺术品

Hardcore Apple Inc. worshippers may already consider the iPhone a work of art. But artists in Japan are trying to get even the nonbelievers to see it that way.

The iPhone Case Exhibition 2010, which kicked off over the weekend in Yokohama, is Japan's first art fair featuring cases for the Apple device, the event's organizers say. The cases were created just for this event by 100 people, including artists, designers, architects and others, including a pastry chef and a radio DJ.

During the first two days alone, the free event attracted about 15,000 visitors, says Hiromi Yuzuki, the producer of the exhibition. In addition to the typical iPhone customers in their 20s and 30s, many kids, elderly people and foreign tourists have stopped by, she says.

Some of the cases fit perfectly into the Japanese concept of kawaii, or 'cute,' exemplified by Hello Kitty. Others are chic, like one made by a traditional leather craftsman, or scary, like one by a special-effects makeup artist. All of them are one-off pieces not found at stores, but about half are for sale, with prices ranging from 3,000 to 63,000 yen (roughly $35 to $745).

Ms. Yuzuki said that the simple, flat shape of the iPhone--perhaps the closest to a canvas a phone can get--also makes its cases suitable for painting and other forms of art.

'Some of these cases are really interesting, but I don't think I'd actually use any of them,' said Satoru Watanabe, 28, who came to the exhibition after hearing about it on Twitter.

'I like the simple design of the iPhone, so I prefer a case that doesn't ruin the original appearance,' he said, as he photographed an exhibited case with his own iPhone 4.

'The idea is to make art more accessible,' said Ms. Yuzuki. 'And the iPhone is a good platform, because people already customize it by downloading apps and choosing the case they like.'

In Japan, a vast majority of iPhone users put the phones in cases, according to Elecom Co., a company that makes accessories for computers, mobile phones and audio equipment.

Ms. Yuzuki added that this exhibition works also because many people in Japan--especially in major cities like Tokyo and Yokohama--know about the iPhone even if they don't use it themselves. The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 received huge publicity at the time of their releases in Japan, when many people camped outside stores for days to be the first one to buy them.