Have a Seat: Mexican Chair Design Today

Let’s talk about an exhibit where the works are directly on the floor, (mostly) free to be moved around, and there to be sat in by visitors. In a retail environment, sure. In an art museum, weird.

We identified a few key moves to engage visitors, organize the objects into their groupings, and move the gaze from the walls to the floor. All while making sure the space remained active.

The exhibit walls were painted to match the gallery floor. Removing them as a focal point shifts viewership to the low-lying objects, while strong graphic shapes, text and lighting were used to gather items into groups. Super bright spots present the seats as jewels, while demarcating their locations, helping gallery hosts  reset the objects when they are moved.

Ambient sounds are provided by three looping documentaries which provided textural context of the people and places where these objects are beautifully crafted.