The Spirit of Chairs

The chair as sculptural object: a surprising and delightful parade of seating that’s not always for sitting—from Ron Arad and Mary Heilmann to Maria Pergay and Richard Tuttle

The chairs in this book are not for everyday use. Occupying a unique terrain between design and art, they are sometimes intended to be sat on—but equally and most importantly, they explore the sculptural possibilities of the chair. The generous layout of this fun, surprising and substantial volume allows readers to fully immerse themselves in its many curiosities and give their imagination free rein. Nicolas Polli and Jean Vincent Simonet use their photographic essays to interpret these modern and contemporary chairs, while texts examine their fruitful friction between art and design and explain their significance in the life of their collector, Thierry Barbier-Mueller.

Designers and artists include: Ron Arad, Arca, Alexey Brodovitch, Choi Byung-Hun, Sandro Chia, Niki de Saint Phalle, Tom Dixon, Front Design, Frank Gehry, Godspeed, Michael Graves, Gruppe B.R.A.N.D., Mary Heilmann, Steven Holl, Richard Hutten, Franco Joly, Donald Judd, Shiro Kuramata, Daniel Libeskind, Xavier Lust, Javier Mariscal, Jasper Morrison, Bruno Munari, Marc Newson, Isamu Noguchi, Objects of Common Interest, Werner Panton, Maria Pergay, Tejo Remy, Ettore Sottsass, Philippe Starck, Richard Tuttle, Maria Uys, Franz West and Zoom Design.