Connor Renwick: Comparing Conditions Explores the Traditional Form of a Chair

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Comparing Conditions Explores the Traditional Form of a Chair

Maria Bruun and Anne Dorthe Vester, also known as the duo behind Copenhagen-based studio MBADV, are taking part in newly opened exhibition Autonomous Design at the Schindler House in Los Angeles. Comparing Conditions is a group of four sculptural works that mimic the traditional form of a chair. Their starting point was the question of When is it a chair, a form, a material?

With Comparing Conditions, the two continue their exploration of material-generated fabrication and form, moving between marble, rattan, ceramic and oak. MBADV played with the possible outcomes of shape, function and materiality, with each decision revolving around three curves, four different ways of connecting them and four materials. The resulting four sculptural artworks are presented together, ready to be compared, in fact asking for it. You’re likely to notice the variety of seats first, from solid wood to a heavy marble plate. The qualities of each material were their own idea generator, guiding MBADV through their potential.