A Chair and You
Chairs like you've never seen them before: in A Chair and You, these everyday objects become the stars of an immersive performance. This autumn, Kunsthal Rotterdam presents an exhibition centered on one of the world's most important private collections of chairs, assembled by collector Thierry Barbier-Mueller (1960–2023).
For the exhibition A Chair and You, the recently deceased American director, scenographer, and artist Robert Wilson (1941–2025) selected more than 150 chairs by 124 designers from the collection of Thierry Barbier-Mueller. Inspired by the performing arts, Wilson used light, sound, and scenography to create four thematic worlds—ranging from a Jackson Pollock-inspired space with organic, colorful forms and wondrous materials, to an environment that exudes calm and order, with clean lines and soft tones evoking modernist architecture. This total installation emphasizes the meaningful, almost theatrical power of the objects and allows the chairs to speak without words.
The Thierry Barbier-Mueller collection
Since the late 1990s, Geneva-based entrepreneur and collector Thierry Barbier-Mueller has assembled chairs with a sculptural character that extends beyond traditional notions of chair design. Through spontaneous discoveries and personal encounters, the collection has grown to more than 650 works, spanning from the 1960s to the present day. The selection in the exhibition brings together exceptional chairs by artists, designers, and architects, including Ettore Sottsass, Ron Arad, Martino Gamper, Maarten Baas, Donald Judd, Niki de Saint Phalle, Lawrence Weiner, and Franz West.
Cooperation
The exhibition is being realized in close collaboration with Fondation Musée Barbier-Mueller and mudac – Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts.
All dates
From 26 September to 31 January 2027
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