Many know and appreciate it, but no one can give detailed information about what is probably the most popular, and certainly the most widespread, kitchen chair of the GDR—until now. After an initial presentation at the German Chair Museum Rabenau, the “unseen design classic” curated by Martha and Jacob Strobel can now be discovered at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry.
As an anonymous yet ingenious everyday product, the “EW 1192” survived the decline of the Ore Mountains chair-making industry in the kitchens and hearts of many people from the former GDR. For a long time, it appeared only at flea markets and in classified ads, but neither in museums nor in design publications.
The exhibition “The Unseen Design Classic” aims to convey knowledge and generate new insights. In addition to questions about design, production, model variety, economy, and ecology, the focus is on the users themselves: people who owned, found, repaired, or modified the chairs. They share stories of flea market finds, family heirlooms, and chance encounters. These stories lead to a possible future perspective for the beloved classic: Jacob Strobel, curator of the exhibition and Professor of Wood Design at the University of Applied Arts Schneeberg, has developed a prototype for a re-design.
A 35-minute documentary film was also produced on the topic. In the film Chair EW 1192, director Mark Michel and the production company TELESKOP explore the humble star of GDR design history. They follow its transformation from a widely used everyday object to a museum piece and back again—as a reinterpretation for possible series production.
The exhibition opens on September 4 at 7 PM with the premiere of the documentary Chair EW 1192, followed by a discussion with concept creator Jacob Strobel, the filmmakers, and the protagonists.
Chemnitz Museum of Industry, Zwickauer Straße 119, 09112 Chemnitz
Tue–Fri, 9 AM–5 PM, Sat, Sun & public holidays 10 AM–5 PM
Closed December 24, 25, 31, and January 1
Admission: included in regular museum ticket
Further Information: www.industriemuseum-chemnitz.de
Press contact: Almut Hertel / presse@industriemuseum-chemnitz.de