Image Courtesy of Fendi.
Moving through life, our bodies are constantly intertwined with objects. Furniture pieces are seen as functional objects that serve our needs; ones we interact with at almost every moment of our day. Yet, we rarely question the relationship we have with them.
Driven by this lack of reflection, Austrian artist Lukas Gschwandtner studies the influence humans have on objects and vice versa. The result is furniture pieces that either perfectly adjust to one’s sitting behaviour or force the person to place themselves a certain way. His series Pillow Stories takes a closer look at paintings of women reclining on chaises longues, and he did so by building wearable pillows that make the wearer mimic the exact positions. Taking the chaise as his starting point for his collaboration with Fendi, he changed the propositions into the triclinium form. Having roots in ancient Rome, the approach through creating a triclinium was a natural nod to the history of the Italian fashion house. The triclinium reflects Gschwandtner’s body of work while also illustrating Fendi’s rich cultural heritage, making the collaboration a space for creative exchange and appreciation of the past.
SLEEK: As an artist, you have distanced yourself from the title “furniture designer”, yet a lot of your works include furniture pieces. Where does your fascination with objects derive from?
Lukas Gschwandtner: For me, it is about creating a connection between object and body. It’s about how someone sits, how someone leans on a rest. Everything is based on the human body and the relationship between furniture and oneself. Historically, furniture pieces have been like a pillar for humans. I just simply find it so beautiful how a body drapes itself onto a furniture piece or how someone decides in which way they want to place themselves onto an object.
S: Does your way of perceiving furniture also influence how you decorate your own apartment?
LG: I live with my boyfriend, which is very interesting because our visions of creating a space are very different. He is teaching me to have a little more fun with it, otherwise it would all look very clean. Chairs are my central focus in the space; I think about how I should use them, I notice which side of the couch I like to sit on more. It’s a kind of study that I do every day.
S: A while ago you also presented your series Pillow Stories accompanied by a performance. How important were those performances in understanding your pieces?
LG: That happened spontaneously because I am actually a shy person regarding performances. But to truly understand my pieces, I thought it would make sense if I wore my art how I intended it to be seen. It all happened during lockdown, which was perfect timing for me because no one was allowed to enter the space and eventually I forgot everyone standing outside. Essentially, this was what my case study was all about: looking at paintings of women and understanding how they were placing themselves on a chaise.
S: The chaise is a repeated motif in your work. For the collaboration with Fendi, you chose the triclinium as your main motif, almost like a reinterpretation of your past work. How did you decide on the triclinium form?
LG: It felt natural to go back to where I started, which was the chaise. My first thought was how I could change the proportions of it, and I found a book in Vienna with a whole chapter about the triclinium. It is a triple bed which is positioned to encourage conversations with one’s dining companions and it immediately felt perfect for this project, with its roots being in ancient Rome. Naturally, the connection to Fendi comes with it. For my research, I then also went to Rome and visited Villa Borghese. Over time, everything came together.
Image courtesy of Fendi.
S: Both the chaise and triclinium were made for the higher classes back in ancient Rome. How are these pieces recontextualised through your art?
LG: You always have to be more careful when approaching subjects that have political or social dimensions, so I find it hard to give an exact answer to that. But I have always wanted my work to include everyone, which is why I chose untouched textiles as a canvas to create an alternative context. This results in objects that everyone can use; in my case, wearing the pillows. In my work, I take a historic theme and bring it into the contemporary while still showing respect for its origins. I see my mission as breaking up the layers of context an object holds and then presenting it for everyone to see.
S: In addition to the triclinium, you also made the Fendi Peekaboo your own. How did you approach the project of working with a bag?
LG: Fendi appoints an artist every year to do something with their Peekaboo bag. My idea was to make a fossil out of it while still capturing a moment of its existence. I was with my friends at home and I filled every compartment of the bag with plaster. After that, I held it under my arm to give it some shape, let it dry and then cut it open. I wanted to understand how the bag was designed and where the stitches were, which I also learned in art school when I was 14. It became kind of like a full circle moment for me, looking back to my roots and that of the bag. The thought of it going back to the Fendi archives in Rome to eventually become a real fossil is so beautiful to me.
As featured in SLEEK 76 FREEDOM. Available in print and digital here.