The (School) chair 1+6 exhibition is trying to reveal a new perspective of this stereotypical piece of furniture. But it is doing it in a way which is the exact opposite of how the chair was produced and has been used. Here the industrial production rendered by 6 contemporary designers transforms into 6 unique one-off pieces. The young designers who undertook the task of redesigning the school chair are Jakub Berdych, Llev, Maxim Velčovský, Whitefruits and the Tai2 studio. By their own interpretation they will highlight the phenomenon of the “famous” school chair and the “invisible design” which the chair acquired during its long service life. The designers’ creativity was given no restriction at all.
The exhibition is taking place as a part of Design in Žižkov.
When and where: 11.4 – 30.4. in the space of Tai2 studio, VLKOVA 18, PRAHA 3 – ŽIŽKOV
Curator: Adam Štěch
Perhaps none of us can imagine his school years without a classical simple school chair with thin gray metal legs crossing under the plywood seat in the shape of the letter X. Similarly formed backrest with the typical colored spot which originally could have served for its identification provided for a comfortable chair leaning during boring lessons of Czech. Simply said it is a chair on which many of us spent a large part of our lives. Even today one can easily encounter it in schools. Have we ever thought about the design of this chair? When was it created? Who is its creator and how did it work in the school environment? The shape and material efficiency and its easy use made the chair a completely ordinary object. Considering it we have possibly lost the capacity of thinking about the previously mentioned questions. Can we still talk about an elaborate timeless design or has the chair just lost it in our view due to its banality and everyday school use?
The exhibition aims to introduce this ordinary chair in new contexts from the point of view of the contemporary designer generation and also to more generally reflect on the value of designer’s work and its lasting in society. By the contrast of industrial production and unique redesigned pieces we are also drawing attention to one of the most significant phenomena in contemporary design. What we are talking about are limited editions and creations of one-off pieces which are gaining importance as a counterpart of large scale industrial production. Is it then a work of an artist or of a designer? Similarly but from the other side we can also think about our school chair. Is it a result of designer’s work or just a work of an engineer, a technician?
Exhibiting designers: JAKUB BERDYCH, LLEV, TAI 2, MAXIM VELČOVSKÝ, WHITEFRUITS
