From November 16 to December 15, the PROSTIR inclusive business hub will host an exhibition of bent beech objects. SCHEBENTWOOD — bureau of bent furniture, together with Yuriy Stashkiv's "ChervoneChorne" foundation, organizes for the first time an exhibition of bentwood objects with a history, which are collected from all corners of Ukraine and European cities.
"Icon #14" — an exhibition dedicated to one model of the cult chair, namely model No. 14.
The "Vienna chair", as it is still often called, became an icon among bent furniture and the most popular model of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its author is the world-famous German manufacturer of bent furniture, Michael Tonet, the first to introduce a new production technology and, with his innovative solutions, changed the very principle of wood bending.
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In 1859, the first series of model #14 was produced. After certain improvements — work on the optimal design, method of fastening the seat, economy of material and labor — Tonet received the most simplified form, which was completely satisfactory both from an aesthetic point of view and from the material absolutization of the relationship between function and form. The end of the century and the period before the First World War can be considered the "golden era" of Tonet's creative flourishing.
Why was this chair so sought after and popular? There are a number of reasons: design, price, ease of transportation and aesthetic appearance. If you disassemble it into parts, you can get six elements that are easily connected to each other. Having bought a chair disassembled, you can easily assemble it at home.
Thanks to the possibility of transportation in a disassembled state, the chair easily got to different corners of the world, even the most remote. This was a logistical victory that allowed us to quickly fill new markets. Such a decision was innovative and financially beneficial, providing Thonet with an advantage over competitors and bringing it to a leadership position among manufacturers of bentwood objects.
As for the price, it was equivalent to the cost of three dozen eggs. From 1859 to 1930, more than 50 million units of the #14 model were produced and sold, due to the pleasant "low" price and universal, lightweight shape. Model #14 became the basis of the company's economic success Tonet brothers.
Visitors to the exhibition will see this model in the factory version Tonet brothers, their competitors and contemporaries, created in different periods of time and in different conditions. Also, at the exhibition, there will be an opportunity to get acquainted with a large number of other objects of that time, including chairs, tables, wardrobes, etc. Part of the exhibits is in the private collection "ChervoneChorne", which SCHEBENTWOOD formed and continues to form. The exhibition runs from November 16 to December 15, 2024.
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