Treetrunk Bench High Table, Jurgen Bey for Droog Design, Atlanta High Museum of Art
While visiting family in Atlanta, we popped into Renzo Piano's lovely addition at the High Museum of Art and Droog's famous Treetrunk Bench met us at the door. Though excited to stumble upon this piece in person we were conflicted: (a.) it's a design object on display in a museum, complete with wall plaque description but (b.) it's a design object that is actually sold in order to be sat on, plus (c.) it was in the museum entry, pre-ticket counter, next to the coat check!
Would you dare to sit on it? Should you even be allowed to decide? Follow the jump to take our survey...
Even though it was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and we were the only patrons in the lobby and probably could have gotten away with it (if it was even against the rules, we still don't know), we did not sit down. Something about the whole atmosphere said, "Do Not Touch" even though it was no where stated. Still, we left feeling a bit cheated, like we missed out on an important (and rare) sensory experience of appreciating conceptual furniture.
Droog advertises the bench in use (photo below) and although we can see how multiple users might do harm to the piece, we're still conflicted. It was commissioned specifically for this public space. We can understand that at places like Moss you don't just plop down in a $50,000 Campana Brothers chair without serious consideration of buying it but this museum installation felt more ambiguous. What do you think? Have we grown to accustomed too Design Within Reach?
I probably wouldn't sit on it...
...but I would chop it up for firewood.
view bepsf's profile
Why wouldn't you ask someone at the museum? It's their call not yours.
view DKinNY's profile
Pretty much if there is no sign telling me otherwise, I would nonchalantly try and sit on it. But I would do so when a museum employee could see me in case they wanted to stop me.
view sara mc's profile
If a tree falls in the forest and no one sits on it, tack some bronze onto it and call it art! :-D
view liddybird's profile
Well, you could always just go camping and try it out in nature... Not really that rare. ;)
view jamiealyse's profile
Hey, I recognize that; I actually work at the High Museum! I agree it is a little confusing. I've seen people sit on it without reprimand, so there you go.
My general rule with furniture at a museum is that if it doesn't say not to sit on it, and it's not on a platform or behind a rope, then you are likely supposed to sit on it. It's experiential art...part of the experience being the decision to sit or not to sit.
view emilyamelie's profile
I second what emilyamelie said - the choosing to sit vs. not choosing to sit is part of it.
I would have sat down -
view mabaihua's profile
I've sat on it. It was actually very comfortable. And no one told me to get off.
view bookishnose's profile
They have these in the bar of the Hudson Hotel in New York. People sit on them. Not too comfortable for long periods of time.
view Kah's profile
Love the tags!
view kiljoywashere's profile
I have a mental disease that makes me touch things in museums, thereby setting off alarms or earning a shooing-away by security guards. So yes, I'm sitting on that piece.
view taritac's profile