Symbolism of Chairs Transformed Into Art
In our complex and busy lives, we rely on many commodities to improve our mental state and relieve our burdens.
Furniture happens to be crucial in this way. Fluffy beds soothe our mind and body, and couches keep us cozy and snug. Chairs, even outside of our homes, offer the same kind of comfort, but, as an object that is found practically everywhere, they hold different meanings depending on their location. For example, train station chairs, often thoroughly used, show a sign of the times, and, the school principal’s office chair always happens to be much more comfortable than the students.
With this in mind, sculptor and contemporary performance artist Hongxi Li took a deeper dive into the symbolism of chairs hand in hand with today’s rigid societal standards. In a series of two short videos for an artistic project titled “School Chair”, Li performs “Napping 2022” [styled by @venicew] and “Reading 2022”, where she respectively naps and reads a thick textbook. The highlight of these performances is the chair she built out of a repurposed school chair, paired with a coordinated desk. The chair’s backrest is exaggeratedly curved, built to be usable but extremely uncomfortable to sit in and do regular activities related to a school setting.
This was designed to convey “the lack of comfort one can feel at work or in society at large” and the artist wanted the audience to question their role in society in parallel with figures of authority and modern institutions that shape our growth. The twisted allure of an object of familiarity accurately depicts a monotone and strained feeling toward relationships with members of society in “higher” roles, from the point of view of a student or someone in a similar position.
Based in London, the artist of Chinese descent spent about a year perfecting this project. Although abstract, her performances unified with their remodeled chair represents a serious but familiar message on today’s education system, among other things, and the gravity of its effects on youth.
