Frankfurter KunstSäule

Work with me, play with me – der Frankfurter Stuhl

In her work for KunstSäule, the Frankfurt-based artist focuses on the Frankfurt chair. This Frankfurt design icon was developed around 90 years ago as part of the New Frankfurt movement and, like the Frankfurt kitchen, stands for sustainable improvement in everyday life through high quality.

Roppel's long-standing studio chair is painted in the typical neon colour that the artist has been experimenting with for some time, and the chair serves not only as a seat but also as a substitute for a ladder – and has even been part of installations.

Pina Bausch gave such a chair a ‘role’ in her dance theatre, where it was danced on and even danced through the air. Accordingly, Roppel's work is not a static reference, but a dynamic image with several Frankfurt chairs that appear to have been knocked over. A double page of the Frankfurt art newspaper Montez Express served as the painting surface. Even if the graphic design takes a back seat, this can be understood as a reference to the fundamental appreciation of graphic design.

Special event: A curated sit-in where everyone brings a chair or something to sit on and can say a few words about it, e.g. something autobiographical, about the design, why they like it. In a conversation between artist Julia Roppel and curator Florian Koch, the differences between the chairs will be highlighted and put into context, and the meaning and design of sitting as a democratic expression will be discussed.