‘Seats of Power’ at The Vitra Design Museum
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The ongoing exhibition “Seats of Power” at The Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, explores the history of chairs in light of their association with expressions of status and power.In earlier times, chairs were reserved for rulers and the upper echelons o‘Seats of Power’ at The Vitra Design Museum
The ongoing exhibition “Seats of Power” at The Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, explores the history of chairs in light of their association with expressions of status and power.In earlier times, chairs were reserved for rulers and the upper echelons of society. Chairs came to be used by wider parts of the population only after the rise of the bourgeois citizenry in modern times, especially with the advent of industrial furniture production in the nineteenth century which made chairs affordable. Through some 20 objects from the museum’s holdings, “Seats of Power” illustrates how approaches to political, social, and economic power continue to find expression in the seating furniture. “A cultural history of modern seating emerges: from authoritarian, patriarchal principles to egalitarian, participatory values; from the backroom chambers of politics and finance to democratic parliaments and designers who aim to bring about a redistribution of power with new seating designs,” writes the museum. One of the oldest artefacts on display highlighting the association between seating furniture and the traditional conceptions of political and religious power is the Chaise de Garde, commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte for the renovation of Laeken Castle near Brussels. Created by the Belgian court cabinetmaker Jean-Joseph Chapuis around 1802, the chair draws on seating types from ancient Rome. A recent example includes the Papal throne designed for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Zagreb in 1994. The straight, high backrest and stiffly formal seating posture prescribed by the throne’s shape remain symbols of traditional power even today, as per the museum.The exhibition traces how the process of democratization in Western countries impacted seating designs and sitting postures, reflecting values such as flexibility, transparency, and equal rights. John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon sat on the Hans J. Wegner’s chair “JH501” (1949/50) during their legendary televised debate in 1960. The modern, understated design of “JH501” represented the ideals of a more modest, grassroots political style.Dutch designer Hella Jongerius’ “East River Chair” (2013/14) for the UN Headquarters in New York, took this notion a step further with its colorful upholstery fabric, low back, and integrated armrests conveying a sense of openness and plurality.Beyond the political realm, the expression of power and status in seating furniture has also been subject to the continuous evolution of social values, according to the museum. Rocking chairs and other leisure furnishings came into fashion in the nineteenth century. In the twentieth century, expansive comfort was seen as an expression of influence and authority. Examples include Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair for the elegant German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Charles and Ray Eames’s “Lounge Chair” (1943–56), and Arne Jacobsen’s “Egg Chair” (1957/58). Enzo Mari’s unpretentious DIY chair, a part of his Autoprogettazione’ series (1974), gave new meaning to the expression of power — self empowerment. The group CUCULA has offered work and social opportunities to refugees by enabling them to serially build these chairs in its Berlin workshop.The exhibition is on view through February 17, 2019, at the Vitra Design Museum, Vitra Schaudepot Charles-Eames-Strasse 2 79576, Weil am Rhein, Germany.For more information, visit: https://www.design-museum.de/Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the exhibition. http://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more