One chair, four ways

PHOTOS:  Shavan Rahim

The Godfather of Modernism, Le Corbusier, inspired Liam Mooney’s latest exhibition with this famous quote: “A house is a machine for living”.

Turning the quote on its head, the title of Liam’s show is “A house is not a machine for living” and this exhibition of chairs begins his “exploration into a warmer and kinder way of living”. The exhibition opened this week at the Brundyn + Gonsalves (formerly iArt) Gallery at Wembley Square in Cape Town, and sees the introduction of Liam’s latest chair design, The Balafon.

“The form and construction of the chair is inspired by the West African Balafon (xylophone),” says Liam. “The chair is designed around a single frame and can be configured in four different ways.”

But just because the piece will be displayed in a gallery, doesn’t mean Liam considers it an artwork. “I don’t view my work as art, or myself as an artist,” he says. “I do love gallery spaces however. Their sparseness and cleanliness allows for a very clear communication of the idea.”

With exhibitions in New York, London and Scandinavia, Liam’s work is no stranger to design buffs across the world and now South Africans will be the first to see his latest creation. Vibey xylophone tunes create the mood in the modest gallery space, reminding you where Liam got the inspiration for this creation.

More information: www.brundyngonsalves.com, www.liammooney.co.za