”Arise” , ”Rei”, ”Seated”
Teacher confirms from the podium that the student fits into the chair and goes to the blackboard
Teaching and learning activities begin with the “take your seat” action as one signal.
This is just one scene in which the chair appears, but when I thought about the existence of the “chair” itself, I realized the diversity of its meaning and symbolism.
Thinking about chairs in the context of art
The “Absolute Chairs” exhibition currently being held at the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama is an exhibition on the theme of “chairs” as seen from an artistic perspective.
Since its opening, the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama has been known as the “Museum of Chairs” with chairs designed by masterpieces installed in the museum. However, there are no masterpiece chairs in the exhibition hall of “Absolute Chairs” this time. The chairs are not presented as products, where the emphasis is on functionality and design, but rather in the context of art. More than 80 works by 28 artists from Japan and abroad are introduced in the following five chapters.
Chapter 1: Unseatable Chairs in Museums
Chapter 2: Chairs that Trace the Body
Chapter 3: Chairs that Visualize Power
Chapter 4: Chairs that Tell Stories
Chapter 5: Chairs that Create Relationships
I will pick up some of the works that caught my attention from these chapters.
Chapter 1
Marcel Duchamp, “Bicycle Wheel” (1913 / 1964)
The first ready-made work by Duchamp, who brought art into the realm of thought with a problematic work in which a ceramic mens urinal is turned upside down and signed "Fountain. A bicycle wheel is mounted upside down on a wooden stool. The original “Bicycle Wheel” is also a replica, as it has disappeared. It is an appropriate work for the beginning of the exhibition that conveys the curatorial intent.
Yayoi Kusama “Untitled (Object of a Golden Chair)” (1966)
A chair covered with soft golden protrusions that refuse to allow anyone to sit on it. The protrusions appear to be proliferating organic matter. Kusamas obsession is not only visual, but also tactile, as one imagines sitting on the chair. I feel a sense of restlessness that is as close to my body as after reading Edogawa Rampos novel "The Human Chair.
Chapter 2
Tetsumi Kudo “Love” (1964)
Kudo is known for his physical performances and objects with a poignant message for society and humanity. A pioneer of happenings, Kudo, who moved to Paris in 1962, critically discusses the prejudices, superstitions, and misconceptions that exist in Western society. Love" is one of his works created as a wake-up call to Western society. The degenerated limbs are long gone, and only the bloated head sits on a chair, kissing each other. The head, with its scattered hairs, is a grotesque, grotesque expression of obsession with love.
Chapter 3
Andy Warhol “Electric Chair” (1971)
Warhol left several works of electric chairs, from a small electric chair in 1964 to a large electric chair in 1967. While the theme was mass consumption society, he also addressed the theme of death, including suicides, accidents, and assassinations. Chapter 3 is a series of works that can be viewed in a social context.
Chapter 4
Takashi Ishida “Chair and Screen” (2002)
This is a video work created by drawing animation, a technique in which lines are drawn frame by frame and shot repeatedly. The only thing that stands out amidst the flickering images unfolding on the screen is the presence of an immovable chair. The overlap between the real and the image, and the way it transcends space at the end of the film is cathartic.
Chapter 5
Kazuhiko Hinokawa “walkingpractice / CODE: Evacuation_drills [SPEC_MOMAS]” (2024)
“walkingpractice,” a project to transport wheelchairs to their destinations with participants, is held in various locations. The video shows the participants and their wheelchairs going from the Arakawa riverbed to the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, 7 km away, encountering happenings and difficulties along the way, discussing and cooperating with each other, and captured from the perspective of both the wheelchairs and the participants. The images, which seem to be unedited and unprocessed as much as possible, allow the viewer to naturally accompany them on their journey.
Yoko Ono “White Chess Set / Trust and Advance the Pieces” (1966 / 2015)
Both chess sets are painted white and the distinction between friend and foe disappears as the game progresses - this is a work that expresses Yoko Onos wish for peace This is a work of art that represents Yoko Onos wish for peace. Would an actual professional player be able to memorize and trace the game? It was a pity that I could actually sit in the chair on a weekday, although it was not possible to do so as it was a Sunday when I visited. It would have been easier to visualize the work if I could have felt it.
In addition to the artists mentioned above, there were many others such as Francis Bacon, Hans Op de Beeck, Jim Lambie, Aiko Miyanaga, and Jiro Takamatsu. It seems that chairs, which are familiar to us, are also fascinating motifs for artists.
Now, let us return to the opening scene of the classroom.
With the signal to be seated, the teacher raises their pointer, and students begin to absorb new knowledge—could this be a space filled with energy and learning?
But imagine if the students who were supposed to occupy the seats were absent.
Perhaps the room is half-empty due to a boycott or the spread of a popular virus.
Unlike desks, chairs are typically one per person, and thus can be seen as symbols of number.
What does the teacher see in that moment?
An empty chair is, after all, a visible proof of someone s absence.
Exhibitions that have already ended:
Absolute Chairs
Period: 2024.2.17 sat - 5.12 sun
Venue: The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
The Oda Collection: Poul Kjærholm, Master of Scandinavian Modern Design
June 29, 2024 sat - September 16, 2024 mon
Location: Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art
“Chairs and Design in the 20th Century”
2024.2.29 - 3.18 Nihombashi Takashimaya S.C. Main Bldg.
Jean Prouvé: From Chair to Architecture
2022.7.16 - 10.16 Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Finn Juhl and Danish Chairs"
2022.7.23 - 10.9 Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
TAKEUCHI COLLECTION “Lens of the Mind”
2023.9.30 - 2024.2.25 WHATMUSEUM
The Intimate Relationship between Design and Art
The exhibitions of chairs that are fresh in our memories are “Designing with Chairs in the 20th Century” (Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C., Main Building), “Jean Prouvé: From Chair to Architecture” (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo), and “Finn Juhl and the Danish Chair” (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum). All of these exhibitions were popular because they introduced masterpieces of furniture and attracted a great deal of interest from the public.
TAKEUCHI COLLECTION “Lens of the Mind” (WHATMUSEUM) is a collaborative exhibition of contemporary art and furniture collected by collectors, and as in the previous exhibition, visitors can actually sit in some of the pieces, providing a pleasant experience of enjoying the exhibition space. The exhibition “Poul Kjærholm,” a Danish furniture designer, is scheduled to be held at the Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art this June, and expectations are high for this first exhibition at an art museum in Japan."Absolute Chairs“ is a groundbreaking exhibition that examines ”chairs" from the perspective of art, not design. Now, WALLS TOKYO introduces art works with a design perspective.
TAISUKE KOYAMA
untitled (split Fence)
Untiled (Curve)
Josef Albers
Formulation:Articulation #2441
Formulation:Articulation #2440
Victor Vasarely
Pousta
Shun Kawakami
landscapes silver （set of 4 pieces）
text: tomiko mabuchi
This column was sent as part of our newsletter dated May 9, 2024.
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