THIS EXHIBITION, WHOSE STAR IS THE CHAIR
For the duration of an exhibition running until October 6, the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts is showcasing one of the world's largest private collections of chairs. A rich catalogue of creations by over 100 artists, designers, and architects, from the 1960s to the present day.
Acumen will take you there.
The GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts is celebrating its 150th anniversary. For such a milestone, no expense is spared. To mark its 150th year, the museum, based in Leipzig, Germany, is presenting a selection from the collection of Geneva-based entrepreneur and collector Thierry Barbier-Mueller. Barbier-Mueller, who passed away in 2023, had amassed an extraordinary collection of approximately 650 chairs since the late 1990s. These innovative and unique pieces were closer to sculpture than to everyday furniture. Fascinated by the talent of design figures like Ron Arad and Tom Dixon, the collector expanded his collection through encounters, discoveries, and travels.
In the book The Spirit of Chairs, published by Lars Müller Publishers, Thierry Barbier-Mueller states: I would first like to confess that initially, I had no intention of building a collection. The first purchase of a designer chair – was it André Dubreuil? Ron Arad? Tom Dixon? – was like an imperative, then was followed by another, then another, like a thread that one pulls and unwinds slowly at first, with curiosity and caution, then with increasing speed, faster and faster, and finally, with conviction and frenzy. "Still in the same work, he adds:" Over the years, I have learned […] that sharing with other art lovers and enthusiasts, sincerely and simply, is neither pride nor worldly vanity, but rather helps to breathe life into the works I have chosen to preserve. And that the resonance produced by these exchanges also enriches my life. »
In addition to numerous unique pieces, this collection also includes prototypes and limited-edition creations. These works were chosen for their uniqueness and innovative character, their plasticity, their materiality, and the humor they exude. Among the renowned designers featured, besides those already mentioned, are Maarten Baas, Humberto and Fernando Campana, Richard Hutten, Xavier Lust, Enzo Mari, Ingo Maurer, Jasper Morrison, Nathalie du Pasquier, and Oki Sato, as well as designers and architects Michele de Lucchi, Alessandro Mendini, Frank Gehry, and Gaetano Pesce, and artists such as Donald Judd, Isamu Noguchi, and Niki de Saint Phalle.
For the exhibition of this unique collection, comprising a selection of approximately 140 pieces, a presentation of equal caliber was essential. Thus, director and playwright Robert Wilson conceived an exceptional scenography, where the seating is treated as the protagonist of an artistic performance, more precisely an opera whose acts are designed as distinct spaces. The first, "Kaleidoscope Space," is a cube whose walls are lined with mirrors, while the second, "Dark Space," immerses us in a dark and hushed room where spotlights reveal the collection's most remarkable pieces. As for "Medium Space," inspired by Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion, it is structured by semi-transparent walls, showcasing chairs with strong architectural characteristics. Finally, "Bright Space" gives pride of place to the collection's most colorful creations, displayed on simulated islands.
A delightful collection of seating highlighting this key piece of design, which will charm all lovers of the discipline.
"A CHAIR AND YOU"
GRASSI MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS
JOHANNISPLATZ 5–11, LEIPZIG (GERMANY)
UNTIL OCTOBER 6, 2024
GRASSIMAK.DE
