Maarten Baas presents the 101 Chair | Milan design Week 2017

Maarten Baas presents the ‘101 chair’ at Ventura Centrale | Milan Design Week 2017 

‘May I have your attention, please?’ is the title of the installation by Maarten Baas who – in a warehouse in Milan’s Stazione Centrale, restored after being abandoned for over 30 years – presents the 101 Chair, and the Maarten Baas Table, both produced by Lensvelt.

The chairs are grouped in the center of a space, set up as a sort of theatrical stage, encircled by a “forest” of stems that support hundreds of metal megaphones of every possible size.
The shiny cones of the megaphones spread around sounds, speeches, and rumors which simulate human presence. Such “voices” mingle with those of the public who wander through a space filled with color and creativity and pervaded by the irony which characterizes the designs, and the work in general, of Baas. Born in 1978, Maarten Baas is widely regarded as one of the most influential contemporary Dutch designers, artists, and intellectuals.

The design of the 101 Chair epitomizes somewhat the vision of Baas, who has always been critical of market and mass production. Indeed, the 101 Chair combines the concept of series with that of uniqueness; while its metal structure and seat don’t change from piece to piece, seat-backs are always different in shape and dimension.

Marteen Baas, “May I have your attention please?”, Ventura Centrale, Milan’s Central Station, installation views; all photos © Inexhibit, 2017