Balloons on Chairs

The installation “Balloons on chairs” shows our ageing process. It divides our lives into four stages: Childhood, youth, middle age and old age. Each stage is represented by a special seat: the children‘s chair stands for childhood, the bar stool for youth, the office chair for middle and working age, and finally the living room chair for retirement or old age.

 

All seating was painted white. On the one hand, this serves the overall aesthetic impression, and on the other, it sharpens the awareness of the formal language of the chairs, which, when presented in monochrome, can be differentiated more easily. The pink balloons reflect the skin of the white person. Filled to the brim, its surface is smooth. It reminds us of the smooth skin of a small child. As more and more air escapes, the balloons appear flabbier, even shriveled. The balloon with the most air loss can be found in the last position, the living room armchair. 

 

By linking chairs and the surface of the pink balloons, from which more or less air has escaped, the installation creates a view of the ageing of our skin, as well as a view of ageing itself. It encourages reflection by confronting the whole process. The question arises as to where we ourselves stand and what we can expect as a result.

 

The accompanying poem “Beloved Skin” lends the installation an emotional dimension and emphasizes the value of skin. It means protection to us, but also needs protection. By fulfilling this task, it ages. Over time, its function diminishes.

 

The installation “Balloonc in Chairs” is a scenographic contribution by Bartholomaedesign in the context of a group exhibition. This exhibition was part of the annual tour of the ABK Stuttgart, in which communication designers, in collaboration with Hans Georg Pospischill, presented their work on the theme of “skin”.