A refuge for visitors to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York’s most popular cultural attraction, has long been the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court. Similar chairs to those found in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris have given respite for tired museum-goers for decades.
Gerald Cantor, Curator of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, replaced these Parisian chairs with seats designed by David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British architect.
For Adjaye, the sculptural chairs, made in die-cast aluminium, with powder coat paint or copper plating, “explore critical themes in my work—research, history, materiality—finding specific conditions, amplifying them and making them aesthetic while giving them the potential to be part of our world.”
Introducing Adjaye’s chairs in the Petrie creates a new visitor experience, especially with Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s recent addition to ‘Pourquoi Naitre Excalave! ‘That is the first depiction of a person of African descent in Petrie, among the many sculptural historical, mythological and biblical individuals.
Knoll
The Washington Collection for Knoll, David Adjaye’s first collection of furniture, transforms his architectural and sculptural vision into accessible objects for the home and office. The collection consists of two cantilevered side chairs, a club chair, an ottoman, a side table and a monumental coffee table.
Commenting on the installation, Andrew Cogan, Knoll Chairman and CEO, said, “We’re thrilled that David’s work for Knoll is a part of the Petrie Court, offering visitors a powerful combination of contemporary design and social commentary.”
About Knoll
Knoll received the 2011 National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum. Since 1938, Knoll is internationally recognised for creating workplace and residential furnishings that inspire, evolve, and endure. Today, its commitment to modern design, workplace understanding, and dedication to sustainable design have yielded a unique portfolio of products that respond to changing needs. Knoll’s U.S. alignment Green Building Council and Canadian Green Building Council can help companies achieve LEED workplace Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Knoll is the founding sponsor of the World Monuments Fund Modernism at Risk initiative.’ which is the first sculptural portrayal of a person of African descent in Petrie, among many historical, mythological and biblical people.
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Adjaye Associates Transform Electrical Switching Station Into Empowering Art Wall – Encyclopedia of Design
Adjaye Associates Transform Electrical Switching Station Into Empowering Art Wall Save this picture! Courtesy of Adjaye Associates Adjaye Associates has unveiled images of its proposed reconceptualization of the protective façade of an electrical switching station into an engaging “Art Wall” in Newark, New Jersey.