In
November 2012 Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata created the soaring
20-foot-high a kind of like a rotunda, a round tower, made by 1000
chairs and to construct with 20 people at the site. Called "Chairs
For Abu Dhabi", the ephemeral construction invited people to walk
through it and take a rest in one of the comfy seats inside it. The
work is not limited to an architectural study: it is concerned with
the social context in which it is presented. "This time I did
it, it's not a specific chair at all," said the artist. "It's
more of a mixture of all kinds of wooden, metal, colorful chairs -
everything. Because here in Abu Dhabi it's such an international city
and a lot of people come from all over the world, and I wanted to put
a mixture - even a couch."
Born
in Hokkaido, Japan, in 1953 Kawamata has been featured in important
international events from a very young age, at 28 years old he was
chosen to be a participating artist in the Venice Biennial. Having
since taken part in Documenta and international exhibitions, he has
achieved high acclaim in Europe and around the world. He creates
smashing art installations using scrap materials and re-purposed
objects like pallets, waste wood etc. Kawamata's work transcends the
art context and extends to fields such as architecture and city
planning, history, sociology, everyday communication, and even
medical treatment.
‘Chairs
for Abu Dhabi’ took Kawamata a whole week, many hundreds of chairs
to build this installation in Manarat al Saadiyat. Stacked layers of
chairs form this six meter-high edifice, which was part of the fair’s
BEYOND section (known for its display of large-scale works and
sculptures), which sold. Was one of the main attractions at Abu
Dhabi’s 2012 Biennale, and where it provided the bustling event
with an iconic Eco-friendly pavilion that was difficult to miss.
Formidable, convenient and unique, the shelter served as a popular
meeting point throughout the festival. It symbolically link the
people who enter it, Mr Kawamata said.
"An
empty chair is waiting for the people to sit down, and then a chair
is connecting to the other chair," he explained. "So it's
really like a waiting spot, open for everybody to sit down. That's
kind of the metaphor we're using."
More
info
photo
credit Abu Dhabi Art and Pazo Molinos de Antero
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