Exhibition: ZUO·SEAT·SIT——An Exhibition about Nordic Furniture Design

Duration: April 30, 2023- June 20, 2023

Exhibition Location: No.7/8/9 Hall, the China Design Museum of CAA (China Academy of Art）

Organizer / China Design Museum of CAA

Chief Director / Hang Jian

Curator / Hu Jia

Academic Adviser / Zhou Haoming, Fang Hai, Yi Xiao

With its philosophy of creating wonderful and practical everyday objects, the Northern Europe design shows the key points of the development of modernism and functionalism in the early 20th century, and its furniture design is a well-proven classic. The exhibition brings together around 150 classic seating pieces and video works from Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway to showcase the rationality and romance of the Northern Europe design. The exhibition is divided into five sections, using "seating" to describe its "attitude", bringing together the "humanisation", "regionalism" and "naturalism" interwoven in Northern Europe design, inviting the visitors to imagine the infinite possibilities of a better life.

Paimio Chair

Designed : 1930

During the period of 1928-1930, Alvar Aalto invented a new bending material, hot-pressed bending plywood. He planned to apply a standardized model to furniture with characteristics of lightweight, able-to-clean and sanitary. The Paimio Chair is designed for his early masterpiece, Paimio Sanatorium.The elegant structure of the Paimio Chair displays a linear motion deviating from the appearance of industrial products of mass production. The main body of the chair is one piece of curvy plywood with two terminal parts scrolling inward striding between two arms. Such curvy line presents a graceful and elastic look, and increases the comfort level in a tact way. The three slits symbolize the breathing outlet, which shows his humanistic care for tuberculosis patients.Uniting the sitting and back resting functions through a single component with a clear, airy sense and sculptural form, the Paimio Chair becomes the unsurpassable classic. The thoughtful design softens the usual cold impression of hospital and lightens up the heart, being the epitome of Northern Europe Humanism.

Chieftain Chair

The AP19 Papa Bear oak chair was designed in 1953. A change from Hans J. Wegner's slim and dynamic design, this chair features the interesting detail of the "wooden claw" at the end of the armrests. The solid oak frame and the thick fabric create a new type of seat that is robust and comfortable, named the "Papa Bear" chair because it resembles a bear sitting from behind.

PP250 Valet Chair

Designed : 1953

Origin : Bo Xi（UNITED DESIGN / WOWDSGN）

Designed in 1953, the PP250 hospitality chair is one of Hans J. Wegner's most iconic seating designs. The chair design was inspired by a discussion he had with others about practical folding clothes. Combining the desired function with a playful sculptural form, Wiener created a hanger-shaped back, a folding cushion for hanging clothes and a hidden space for storing accessories. Comfort and functionality in one, stability and design in one, making it the ideal chair for rooms and hotels.

The Egg Chair

Designed : 1958

Designer : Arne Jacobsen /Denmark

Material : Polyurethane Foam with Fiberglass Reinforcement

Origin : Bo Xi（UNITED DESIGN / WOWDSGN）

The Egg Chair was designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he also designed the Swan Chair for the hotel. Both chairs were based on a new technique that did not use a steel frame and wood, but instead used molded hard foam material that was later upholstered and covered. The Egg Chair is upholstered in premium Italian leather and filled with high-density foam, with a tilting mechanism that can be adjusted based on the weight of the user to achieve the desired angle. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of 20th-century interior design and is still used today as a symbol of refined urban living in advertising and film.

Karuselli

Origin : China Design Museum of CAA Collection

In 1959, Kukkapuro began a five-year quest to conceive a "chair that is truly comfortable to sit in", and in 1964 Kukkapuro designed the first Karuselli chair, the shape of which is said to have been inspired by a moment when the designer got drunk and fell down on a pile of snow.Karuselli Chair is completely based on ergonomics with the seat and base made of fiberglass, the enhanced polyester. The seat, like a “pocket”, can swivel, and have upholstery. Through a steel spring and the rubber damper, the seat is connected to the base which resembles a duck leg and is in perfect harmony with the seat. The flexible connection between the seat and the legs is not only aesthetically pleasing but meets the user’s requirements for comfort. In 1974, the Karuselli Chair stood out, hence winning the first prize in a global furniture design competition held in New York, USA, and in October 1998 it was acclaimed as "the most comfortable seat in human history" by the New York Times. Also, it earned the honor of the "Classic of the Century" at the Classic Product Design Exhibition held by the United Nations Products Organization in Paris.

The Harp chair

Material : Cherry Wood, Sail Rope

Origin : China Design Museum of CAA Collection

The Jørgen Høvelskov Harp Chair is a unique masterpiece, designed in 1963. Inspired by the flowing lines of the bow and stern of a pirate ship, the design uses cherry wood as the overall skeleton and the sail rope as the back and cushion, providing the right amount of comfort and support for the body while creating an artistic look. The natural simplicity of the materials chosen and the elegant simplicity of the shape reflect the beauty of rope furniture.

Pony Chair

The Pony Chair was designed by Aarnio in 1973. Although all of Aarnio's designs are innovative, he describes the pony chair as his first unconventional design. Aarnio wanted to design a soft animal figure that would allow people to sit freely, as if they were riding a horse. The pony, which Aarnio calls a "seat", is designed to sit comfortably by means of a tubular frame linked to a moulded foam block with an outer stretch fabric, and is sized to allow for the right height for back and foot rest, and can be used in a riding or sideways position. The small size is suitable for children and the large size is suitable for adults.

Globe Garden

Designed : 1985

Designer : Peter Opsvik / Norway

Material : Woolen cloth, Beech

Origin : Maratti

Globe Garden is a concept proposed by Opsvik in 1984. The chair was first designed in 1985, and in the current version, the roots were adjusted as a support. Globe Garden is more akin to a concept than a piece of furniture, that any space could be aesthetic like an art installation. Opsvik hopes to change the conventional perception of proper sitting by the sculptural chair, and he aims to allow people to gain a freer state when sitting and find the most comfortable position in the constant adjustment of sitting.

Phantom

Origin : Line Park

The Phantom is a design by Verner Panton in 1997 and was his final work before his death. The Phantom is made through a process of blow molding, and has a highly fluid, organic form and multifunctional properties. It can be rotated, laid flat or stood up according to requirements and situations, and can serve as a chair, chaise lounge, loveseat, bench or side table.

Space Design / Ren Tian

Visual Design / Zheng Chao

Collection Support / Gao Yuan, Gao Miye

Public Education / Liu Yilan, Wei Zilun

Administrative Coordinators / Wang Jianhong, Ni Xiaojing

Exhibition Support / Li Shuling，Wang Yang，Zhang Chunyan, Chen Hai

Curatorial Assistant / Peng Zixun

Visual Team / Hu Chuan, Ma Yuanning, Ma Yuanzhi, Yin Wenqi, Yang Haojiong, Zeng Yichen, Zhan Xinhao, Qiu Bingkun, Xie Licheng, Zhang Xinlei

Translation & Proofreading / Zhang Xinyu, Ji Yuchen, Li Yimeng, Xu Ziyi, Huang Liurong，Wu Zihua，Wang Lanxin

Exhibition Photography / Meng Qingwei

Video Recording / Zhang Tianxing, Zhai Runnan

Volunteers / Chen Yulin , Yang Xiao

Exhibition Arrangement Assistance / China Design Museum Property Service Center

Visual Production / Hangzhou Wonderwall Culture Art Co., Ltd

Space Construction/ Hangzhou Rixing Furniture Co., Ltd

Transportation/ Zhejiang Huachen equipment import and Export Co., Ltd

Support Collectors / Bo Xi, Hua Jun, Zhang Qingfang, Cao Ming, Chen Jianyou, Fang Ming, Zhou Renze

Acknowledgement / Sun Hongtao ,Wu Dongyue, Ni Shuangquan, Huang Jun, Zhang Junjie, Li Guohua, Helena Hyvonen, IKEA Hangzhou Store Marketing Department

Shanghai UNITED DESIGN GROUP Co.,Ltd.

Shanghai WOWDSGN Culture & Media Co.,Ltd）

IKEA Hangzhou Store

Shanghai AVARTE Furniture Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Maratti Furniture Co., Ltd.

FLOKK Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Hangzhou Xuhang Culture Development Co., Ltd

Zhejiang Mushi Furniture Company

Yrjo Kukkapuro Art Museum (Shanghai)

Hangzhou LINE PARK

School of Design, Jiangnan University

The Design Institute of Landscape & Architecture China Academy of Art