Martino Gamper chairs take centre stage at Haus Der Kunst, Munich (until 1 April 2024). Sitzung is an exhibition that sprung from the Italian designer's '100 Chairs in 100 Days' project, initially developed in 2006 as an exercise in creative composition and making. The designer used discarded chairs found on the street and reconfigured their forms to transform its aesthetic and functionality.
'The process produced something like a three-dimensional sketchbook, a collection of possibilities,' said Gamper of the project. 'I also hope my chairs illustrate - and celebrate - the geographical, historical and human resonance of design: what can they tell us about their place of origin or their previous sociological context and even their previous owners? For me, the stories behind the chairs are as important as their style or even their function.'
Sitzung: Martino Gamper chairs at Haus Der Kunst, Munich
For the new exhibition at Haus Der Kunst, Gamper and his team made a series of chairs, placed in the Mittelhalle of the museum. 'For Haus der Kunst, the furniture will be made in a variety of ways including craft and industrial processes, using a huge range of materials,' says the designer. The chairs will be experimental, fit for purpose but imperfect, rather than products they are vehicles to explore seating as a sculptural object.'
Visitors to the space are invited to reconfigure the designs, continuously transforming the entire space based on a series of rules set by Gamper. This way, the museum becomes a place of interaction and encounters, blurring the boundaries between visitors and displays.
'Chairs are parallel objects to our everyday life, they grow with us, they move with us, they help us create situation, gatherings, and sit down and reflect,' adds Gamper. 'I like to play with shapes and challenge my own formal language.'
The project is part of the museum's mission to change the way visitors can interact with its displays and exhibitions. 'The Mittelhalle of Haus der Kunst is an extraordinary space,' says Andrea Lissoni, the museum's artistic director. 'This collaboration between Martino Gamper and our curatorial and education teams gives us an opportunity to experiment with this important location, inviting everyone to be involved in literally creating their own space.'
Sitzung is on view at Haus Der Kunst until 1 April 2024
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