Christie's Beverly Hills to Host "50 Chairs" Exhibition by Basic.Space
A unique showcase titled "50 Chairs" is scheduled to captivate visitors at Christie's Beverly Hills later this month, presenting a curated selection far removed from conventional seating. Organized by Basic.Space, this exhibition unites fifty distinct pieces, blending renowned 20th-century design luminaries with groundbreaking contemporary furniture that redefines the very essence of a chair. The public can explore this collection by appointment from September 25th to 30th, with every exhibited chair available for acquisition.
The collection's impressive breadth is immediately apparent from the initial featured items. Among them is a rare calfskin edition of Charles and Ray Eames's LCW chair, a 2002 production for a Christie's auction, graciously provided by the Eames Foundation. Contrasting this is a hammered-brass chair from the 1970s by Philippe Hiquily, sourced from Kelly Wearstler's private collection, which blurs the lines between furniture and fine art. Furthermore, Joe Colombo's 1963 Elda Chair enchants with its colossal molded-fiberglass shell, enveloping the sitter in a pod-like embrace. Contemporary creators like Rick Owens push boundaries with his substantial Stag Stool, fashioned from black plywood and adorned with a natural moose antler, embodying an almost architectural robustness. Sam Klemick's Trumpet Dining Chair offers a stark contrast, its wooden legs gracefully flaring downwards, and its backrest seemingly yielding, as if the wood itself has softened. SeungJin Yang's Lounge Chair 01 – Transparent Blue showcases an ingenious technique, transforming inflated balloons into solidified furniture through resin coating, resulting in a whimsical, swollen, and cartoon-like aesthetic, retaining the buoyant essence of air.
The exhibition also highlights the fascinating journey of these pieces through the design world. Many items are contributed by esteemed galleries, while others come directly from private collectors who have cherished them. Notable contributors include Eric Wareheim, who provides the Elda Chair, Kelly Wearstler, sharing the Hiquily piece, and collectors Giampiero Tagliaferri and Adrien Dewulf, offering the CL9 ribbon chair. Basic.Space leverages its extensive network to curate this diverse collection, ensuring the display not only showcases iconic designs but also reflects the personal passions and collecting philosophies that shape the design landscape. Jesse Lee, founder and CEO of Basic.Space, emphasizes that "discovery" is fundamental to their vision, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of designers, artists, and creatives. This Christie's event is a continuation of Basic.Space's commitment to physical exhibitions, building on its recent acquisitions of Design Miami and Platform, solidifying its influential position in both the collectible design market and the events that celebrate it.
Chairs, as a universally recognized object, serve as an exceptional medium for such an exhibition, allowing designers to transcend fundamental functionality. Every seat must support the body and elevate it from the ground; beyond this, designers continually explore the limits of innovation. In this collection, plywood transforms into sculptural forms, balloons solidify into resin, and molded fiberglass expands to encompass the occupant fully. Juxtaposing these 50 varied creations instantly highlights their unique differences. An Eames design from the 1940s might stand beside a contemporary piece conceived from an inflated balloon, making their evolutionary journey vividly apparent even before one reads their descriptions. Christie's Beverly Hills provides an appropriately elegant setting for this comparison, underscoring the exhibition's charmingly simple premise: a single room, a singular furniture category, and fifty extraordinarily distinct interpretations.