"SEAT IN: The Art of Easy Chair Design" Showcases Students’ Work in Furniture Design III

Oleh M. Naufal Hafizh

Editor M. Naufal Hafizh

BANDUNG, itb.ac.id - The Interior Design Study Program, Faculty of Art and Design (FAD), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), hosted an exhibition titled "SEAT IN - The Art of Sitting: Easy Chair Design Journey." This exhibition displayed the results of student projects from the Furniture Design III course over three days, from Wednesday (6/3/2024) to Friday (8/3/2024), complemented by a talk show and workshop in collaboration with VIVERE Group, Kaarun, and GIZ.

This exhibition was initiated by the supervising faculty and students from the class of 2020 who took the Furniture Design III course during the second semester of the 2022–2023 academic year. The course teaches the design of easy chairs up to the production stage on a 1:1 scale.

Every academic year, the faculty will present a different challenge. This year, students were tasked with creating an easy chair using sungkai wood as the main material. This wood was chosen for its durability, ease of production, availability in several modular forms, and its abundance in Indonesia.

The production process involved creating 1:5-scale prototypes using rattan and 3D printing. Subsequently, students produced the 1:1 chairs using sungkai wood in collaboration with a carpenter from the ITB Art Study Program’s workshop, who also owns a production studio.

Salsabilla Putri (Interior Design ‘20), the event division chairwoman, and Nathanael Christian (Interior Design'20), the artistic division chairman, who also serves as the Chairman of the Interior Design Student Association (IMDI) ITB, shared the process of preparing the production of the works until they were successfully exhibited.

During the production process, no issues were initially found with the design, working drawings, or prototypes. However, during the 1:1 production, several aspects had to be revised and adjusted regarding joinery, detail, and finishing.

Despite the lengthy period from the course to the exhibition, the preparation for the exhibition was conducted in a short and effective manner.

The chairs were evaluated not only on ergonomic considerations but also on sitting cultures and customs of different regions and countries. Many designers responded differently to this, resulting in a variety of visuals. The supervising faculty curated 53 initial chairs down to 23 chairs that could be displayed as final works.

Additionally, three rattan chair works from previous cohorts bridged the topic of the talk show and workshop with VIVERE Group, Karuun, and GIZ, who discussed "Sustainable Rattan."

The Dean of ITB FAD, Dr. Andryanto Rikrik Kusmara, S.Sn., M.Sn., Head of the Interior Design Program, Dr. Yuni Maharani, S.Ds., M.T., and the supervising faculty of the Furniture Design III course, Deny Willy Junaidy, S.Sn., M.T., Ph.D., praised the committee and participants for the neatness of the exhibition.

They also encouraged students, who have not had the opportunity to exhibit their work, to persevere as there are many more opportunities for exhibition on both the national and international stages. Furthermore, they appreciated the faculty for its guidance, hoping that such activities could continue and open up collaboration opportunities with the industry.

Reporter: Nazwa Nabiila (Interior Design ‘21)
Translator: Anggi Nurdiani (Management ‘24)
Editor: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering ‘21)


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