The Culture of the Chair - A Study Day with Gallery Visits

Why are chairs principal examples in exhibitions of design history? Referring to a book entitled 1000 Chairs, with so many variations in production, why are designers continually inspired to create new models? Why are some of the most popular chairs sold in contemporary showrooms designs of architects from the 1950's? Why do chairs appear so often as subject matter in curated surveys of contemporary art?

This one-day course will consist of two illustrated talks to present ideas and raise questions for discussion amongst the participants, interspersed with focused visits to consider chair examples in The British Museum and the Aram furniture showroom.

We will consider both the motives of designers to develop new forms of sitting and the cultural significance of the chair that often prompts artists to include chairs in their creative output.

The objective is not to seek unequivocal conclusions, but to achieve a greater critical vocabulary through a breadth of opinions - whether you are a creative practitioner yourself or a collector or a curious enthusiast.

*We will be walking from Dilke House through The British Museum to Aram, which is approximately one mile away. Aram showroom is on several floors with lift access.

Materials to bring

• A notebook and pen may be useful

Materials included
N/A

Equipment provided
All necessary equipment will be provided for use on the course.

About the tutor
For the last twenty-five years, Stefano Santilli has taught the subjects of design and craft at universities in the UK, Sweden, Italy, Romania and UAE, recognised twice with awards for excellence in teaching and learning.