Cross Cultural Chairs is a research project about the cultural context of chairs around the world; an analysis, depending on my local environment about the social and technical aspects of furniture.
In this occasion, I collaborated with Studio José de la O and Matteo Guarnaccia in both anthropological and design explorations, in order to reach a greater understanding of the cultural baggage behind the chairs that are used daily in Mexico.
CROSS CULTURAL CHAIRS
Sitting Down: an Intercultural Ritual
2019 | RESEARCH FOR DESIGN
Research: Matteo Guarnaccia, José de la O, Natalia Del Rio
Photography: Matteo Guarnaccia, Natalia Del Rio
Design: Matteo Guarnaccia, José de la O, Adrian Ivory
Production: Los Patrones
A folding chair that expresses “the true mexican identity”
When it comes to imagining what would be the most representative piece of design in Mexico, surely the metal chair with the legend “Corona” would be among the finalists. Few objects have permeated everyday life like this classic of Mexican design. This popular chair seems to inhabit all the inns and canteens in the country; it is sometimes seen with the metal exposed and, for more elegant events, covered with a white fabric and a cushion that adds comfort.
This icon of Mexican design, which appeared in the 1960s, was not originally designed in the country; It is a slightly modified version of the chair made by the American company Samson.
Design brief
The main purpouse was to represent a culture without falling into basic stereotypes. For the investigation in Mexico, in the Studio José de la O, the current Mexican culture was discussed and summarized in three main aspects:
The continuous exaggeration and excess in colors and shapes.
The ability to adapt any type of external information and make it “Mexican”.
The need to present Mexican manufacturing as “neoartisanal”.
Design process
The main intention with the chair was giving back to Mexico a design that has been part of the popular culture more than 70 years, but has never been “Mexicanized.” That is why it was decided to design a chair, using two layers of metal mesh, emulating the Moirè effect, giving a new twist to a gradient from the aesthetics of religious iconography and sonidero fences. The application of colors tries to simulate the chaos of a street market. We collaborate with Los Patrones, a Mexican manufacturing company that uses an almost artisanal process to achieve high quality design.
Participation
Ethnographic and Visual Research with Matteo Guarnaccia, to identify the main aesthetic characteristics from Mexico City’s culture.
Visual Moodboard creation for main design elements taken from popular culture.
Photography and concept creation participation.
Product Design