keep your seat

keep your seat
GAM (galleria civica d'arte moderna e contemporanea), turin, italy
on now until may 23rd, 2010

marc andré robinson
right of return (by themselves and of themselves), 2008-2010
found wood (chairs, iron)
approximately 430 cm
courtesy of the artist and salamatina gallery, new york
image © designboom

the exhibition 'keep your seat' has been curated around the notion of the chair as a defined object
with a precise function - an object that is based on the idea of presence, absence and solitude.
organized in collaboration with the vitra design museum, the exhibition features contemporary
installations by such artists as ghada amer, tony oursler, doris salcedo and chen zhen,
alongside classic design pieces by joe colombo, frank o. gehry, alessandro mendini, carlo mollino
and chairs from the private collection of the vitra design museum's director, alexander von vegesack.


marc andré robinson
right of return (by themselves and of themselves), 2008-2010
image © designboom


marc andré robinson
right of return (by themselves and of themselves), 2008-2010
image © designboom


marc andré robinson
right of return (by themselves and of themselves), 2008-2010 (detail)
image © designboom


marc andré robinson
right of return (by themselves and of themselves), 2008-2010
detail of how the chairs are connected
image © designboom


general exhibition view
image © designboom


thonet collection
image © designboom


giuseppe gallo
eroi, 2006
bronze, lost-was casting, molding-box casting
installation of 12 elements of variable dimensions
image © designboom


giuseppe gallo
eroi, 2006
image © designboom


giuseppe gallo
eroi, 2006
image © designboom


giuseppe gallo
eroi, 2006 (detail)
image © designboom


doris salcedo
untitled, 2008
wood, metal, cement
100 x 42 x 47 cm
on permanent deposit - fondazione CRT progetto arte moderna e contemporanea
image © designboom


doris salcedo
untitled, 2008
image © designboom


doris salcedo
untitled, 2008 (detail)
image © designboom


general exhibition view of the chen zhen collection
image © designboom


chen zhen
autel de lumière, 1999
children's bathtub, prie-dieu carriage
170 x 75 x 100 cm
private collection, torino
image © designboom


chen zhen
autel de lumière, 1999
children's bathtub, prie-dieu carriage
170 x 75 x 100 cm
private collection, torino
courtesy galleria continua, san gimignano / beijing / le moulin


chen zhen
autel de lumière, 1999 (detail)
image © designboom


chen zhen
cocon du vide, 2000
beads from chinese abacus and from buddhist rosary, chinese chair, metal
240 x 140 x 140 cm
private collection parigi
image © designboom


chen zhen
chaise de concentration, 1999
chair, chamber vessels, metal, sound system
170 x 110 x 70 cm
private collection, paris
image © designboom


chen zhen
dialogue, 1999
chairs, leather, wood, iron
134 x 138 x 73 cm
private collection, paris
image © designboom


chen zhen
dialogue, 1999 (detail)
image © designboom


atelier van lieshout
corpse sofa, 2009
foam, wood fiberglass, cowhide, sueded
330 x 220 x 120
courtesy atelier van lieshout, rotterdam


atelier van lieshout
corpse sofa, 2009
foam, wood fiberglass, cowhide, sueded
330 x 220 x 120
courtesy atelier van lieshout, rotterdam
image © designboom


'keep your seat' - exhibition info and graphics were on the floor
image © designboom


alexander von vegesack, director of the vitra design museum
portrait © designboom


curator maria cristina didero discusses the idea behind 'keep your seat':


video by designboom


designboom asked vitra design museum director alexander von vegesack a couple
of questions regarding the exhibition:

how does the chair as an object change within the context of the museum space?


video by designboom


thonet was the starting point of your collection for its innovative production techniques
and industrial manufacturing. do you have any contemporary examples which you feel
have had the same or similar impact on the furniture industry?


video by designboom