ATELIER MUJI GINZA Gallery 1, located on the 6th floor of MUJI Ginza, will be holding the exhibition "Live Longer. 50 Chairs Connecting the "DNA" - From the Nagai Keiji Collection" from July 26th to November 24th.

©︎ATELIER MUJI GINZA2019
The theme of this second "Chestnut Tree Project" in collaboration with Italian design master Enzo Mari is "Live Longer." Not only will the exhibition introduce individual examples of long-life design, but it will also take a long-term look at long-life technology, the origin of modern design. Our story begins with the 1859 model "No. 14" by Thonet, a company that established the foundation for mass production through bentwood technology. This innovative chair features a structure and design that eliminates waste, and its knockdown system minimizes shipping costs. Beginning in the late 19th century, bentwood furniture factories expanded beyond national borders to regions where beech, the raw material, grows, producing chairs in numerous variations. In the 1920s, Thonet, in collaboration with the Bauhaus, produced chairs made from bent steel pipes invented by Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as well as the cantilever chair, another structural revolution following bentwood. These two bending techniques spread worldwide, and Japan also applied them to create a variety of unique chairs. This year marks 200 years since the founding of Thonet and 160 years since the birth of No. 14, making it a time to truly consider long-life design.

No. 14, Gebrüder Thonet, 1859 ©Takashi Chishiki
This exhibition imagines the chair as a living organism and attempts to visualize the expansive DNA network of all 50 chairs, including No. 14. The exhibits are part of the vast collection of postwar modern design pieces that interior designer Keiji Nagai has collected from around the world over the past 50 years, using his own eyes, hands, and feet. Careful observation of the evolution of bending techniques reveals design archetypes and variations, as well as remixes and deviations. Understanding the continuous network of chairs may change the way we view contemporary design. It offers an opportunity to consider the secrets of objects that endure longevity and are not consumed.

Some of the chairs on display and Keiji Nagai's knowledge
As a pre-opening event, a gallery tour titled "The Story of Chairs" will be held on July 25th at 7 PM. Nagai, known as one of the world's leading chair collectors, will take us on a tour to learn the fascinating stories behind the chairs featured in the exhibition. Additionally, a talk event titled "What is the "DNA" of Chairs?" will be held from 7 PM on August 1st. Members who think about design on a daily basis will discuss the connection between technology and the "DNA" of form, as well as long-lived objects and the long-lasting designs that will be born in the future. Details of related events can be found on the official website (https://www.muji.com/jp/ateliermuji/) from time to time.