Architecture studio Between the Walls invited artists from across Ukraine to create a collection of chairs, which was raffled off to raise funds for a foundation supporting displaced people in the war-torn country.
Local practice Between the Walls asked eight contemporary artists to transform its design for a simple flat-pack wooden chair into a unique art object to raise funds for housing charity District#1.
Each artist was responsible for developing one chair and was given complete freedom to express their creative vision, resulting in nine different outcomes including one produced by Between the Walls.
The chairs formed the prizes for a raffle in support of District#1, which helps to restore and construct housing for people impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Alongside the fundraising objective, Between the Walls founders Andriy Anisimov and Viktoriya Kareva wanted to elevate the profile of Ukrainian contemporary art within the architecture and design community.
“Firstly, for us, this is a way to raise funds for the District#1 fund to cover the primary needs in the construction of housing for displaced people,” said Anisimov and Kareva. “The second priority is to start a discussion in the world of design and inspire artists and designers to creative collaboration.”
Creative duo Arthur and Igor Spaskyi of experimental art and musical performance practice SOC.I.A used their signature spray paint technique to give the chair a vibrant graphic makeover.
Kharkiv street artist and illustrator Gamlet Zinkivskyi painted his chair black and decorated it with miniature drawings of chairs in white.
The inscription “there is always a place for you” promotes a message of inclusivity and diversity.
Tamara Turlyn, artist and co-founder of Kyiv’s Depot 12_59 art space, left the chair unadorned and placed it in a local bomb shelter during an air raid alert. A photograph of the chair in situ was entered into the raffle instead.
“I believe that when a thing is really good, I have nothing to add to it, except that it fulfils its function,” said Turlyn. “A lot of shelters are still not suitable for long stays, so it would be good to leave it where it is needed.”
Multidisciplinary artist Vitaly Kokhan drew inspiration from Ukrainian applied art when decorating his chair with geometric shapes and symbols that are carved into the chair’s surface.
Similarly, Kyiv-based Anton Sayenko referenced Ukraine’s heritage and traditions with his chair, which he painted a shade of sky-blue associated with rural life in the country.
Artist and fashion designer Yaroslava Khomenko used a thermal compression technique to cover her chair in a wrinkly skin.
“By using my traditional compression technique, dominated by sculptural texture, I deliberately concealed beneath it the imperfections that could distract attention from the object’s form,” said Khomenko.
Artist and urbanist Anastasia Lelyuk paid tribute to her home city of Luhansk. Also known as Lugansk, the city is referred to by its residents as Lugangeles, which is emblazoned on the chair as a slogan.
Tara Hutsol, artist and workshop leader at the inclusive bakery Good Bread from Good People, painted his chair in primary hues of red, yellow and blue, while the final chair designed by Between the Walls aims to break down the cliches associated with the colour pink.
“This particular shade of pink is about freedom, about freshness, about unusualness,” said the designers. “It can be both by itself and dilute the interior, becoming its element. If you like this pink or something unusual, then why not?”
Between the Walls is more typically involved in designing interior projects that reflect the interests and personalities of their users.
Other design projects that have aimed to raise funds for Ukraine include a series of lamps made from salvaged air-raid shells by local studio YOD Group, with proceeds going to Ukrainians fighting on the front line.
The photography is courtesy of Between the Walls.
