DO YOU HAVE 90 MINUTES OF SPARE TIME? LET’S VIRTUALLY WALK THROUGH THE VITRA DESIGN MUSEUM’S CHAIR COLLECTION BY WATCHING “CHAIR TIMES”, THE DOCUMENTARY FILM DIRECTED BY HEINZ BÜTLER
TEXT: NAPAT CHARITBUTRA
PHOTO COURTESY OF VITRA
(For Thai, press here)
While we’re able to flatten the curve and many of us are back in the office now, let’s spend some time away from our favorite Netflix and watch “Chair Times”. This documentary will make you understand “chairs” better.
The entire 90 minutes are about chairs. With Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman emeritus of Vitra, as the narrator, this film comprises interviews with designers, architects and collectors. Fehlbaum himself also leads the audience on an exclusive tour of Vitra chair collection, tracing back the history from early 1800s when “Thonet” was made for cafés frequented by the bourgeoisie before making its way to the household. Many chairs were created in accordance with architectural and artistic movements in addition to the two World Wars. The narration leads up to now when chairs are produced with 3D printing technique.
Reading English subtitles, as the original soundtrack is in German, for 90 minutes is indeed tiring. However, learning the history and evolution of chair design, from the 125 chairs in the Vitra Design Museum’s collection, and understanding how the shapes, materials, structures, component joining and assembling techniques, sitting positions have developed are indeed worth it.
Directed by 75-year-old Swiss documentary filmmaker Heinz Bütler, “Chair Times” is highly educational. Mentioning another chair here would be a spoiler and good news is the Vitra Design Museum has now made available “Chair Times”, free-of-charge, at: https://www.vitra.com/en-un/page/chair-times