The Free Chair project

published in: Design By Ricardo Hernandez, 13 October 2010

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Shit down! by Boke Bazán & Marta Wild
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Which one is your favorite? Share it with us.

The Free Chair or 'Silla Libre' represents the philosophy of Spanish Hat Gallery and it constitutes the first debate between artistic disciplines. The concept is 40 equal chairs distributed to 40 different artists in order to obtain 40 unique interpretations of the chair designed by Max Gumpp & Hannes Gumpp and distributed by ABR. The selection of creative minds represents the future and current professionals of the Valencian community and a spectrum of what Spanish design is doing to become a global interest in design discourse.

Virgola by Enproyecto Arquitectura (Jorge Cortés, Borja García, Sergio Gª-Gasco)
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Besaculos by Javier Palacios
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery  

Unoccupied chairs often miss the picture or memory of the event or person who occupied it. Chairs often sit quietly and lack a personal story. In isolation, it narrates on technology, time and function rather than a personalized voice. It is the environment that assists in narrating the story of the chair. In the 'Silla Libre' project, each chair narrates a story about its function, designer, creator and user. A great discourse on archetypes and how function and dialogue are infused onto a common colloquial artifact.

Sit on my face by Modesto Granados
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

A homogenous chair resulting in a heterogenous dialogue on perspective, technique, point of view, and design. A selection of the chairs became the seating of the RED speed dating event  where bloggers and design media took part of at the Feria Habitat and Valencia Disseny Week 2010. We couldn't help from noticing and inquiring about the project as they quickly generated conversations. Some designs were applied, others re-appropriated, others materialized; the array of chairs demonstrate the creativity, diversity and ingenuity of the Valencian community and Spanish design. Enjoy our favorites and tell us which one is your favorite!

SillaDOO by Martha Bacigalupe Mora, Rebecca Bodí Hernández, Sofía Gargallo Marí, Manuel Gasch Molina, Mayte Lorente Casanova // Zigzagestudio
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

silla_01 by Dídac Ballester & Nadadora
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Me by Paco Caballer
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Ingersecto by Ximo Roca
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Sawa by Manolo Bañó & Francesc Roig (Africalink)
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Ó’Quentiño by Irene Regueiro, Patricia Alambiaga Arnal, Lebymar Blanco Pérez, Elena Báez, Nela Sánchez
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

If chairs could talk” by Luis Eslava Studio
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

 

Trust me by Ricardo Barriendos Pérez, Clara Bonafé Pérez,Marian Sánchez-Aedo Gálvez
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Fuesilla by Colectivo la Col
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Nostalgia by Vanesa Moreno Serna
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Nostalgia by Vanesa Moreno Serna
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Read my code by Lorena Palacio y Héctor Paz
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

La Clavada by Lucía García Santos, Diego Higeo Sales, Silvia Mas Francés
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

La Clavada by Lucía García Santos, Diego Higeo Sales, Silvia Mas Francés
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Sense Títol by Pepe Agost
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Mimbrepop by Trashformaciones (Pablo y Blas Montoya)
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery

Lligtó by YM Arquitectura Interior (Yolanda Murillo, Jose Prats)
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery 

La espera by Alfonso Gosalbez
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery 

La espera by Alfonso Gosalbez
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery 

Silla sin pilas by Rafael Morata
Image Courtesy of Hat Gallery  

Which one is your favorite? Share it with us.

sources:

Valencia Disseny Week 2010

  • friend
    Marthe | 2010-10-18 21:23:19

    I loved the chair Me by Paco Caballer!

  • friend
    Gerard | 2010-10-19 14:02:52

    I suppose one has to conclude that this wasn't a very good idea.

  • friend
    Annamika | 2010-10-19 19:54:24

    I feel like from looking at these few samples that some of the participants did not understand the context in which these chairs would be observed once completed. In other words, it wasn't taken very seriously by some. I love many of these chairs for varying reasons, however, the one that I want to sit on the most is Besaculos by Javier Palacios.

  • friend
    Ioana | 2010-10-20 20:51:22

    Me by Paco Caballer is my favorite.

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