Kuril Chto

Kuril Chto’s installation centers on the Monobloc chair, a design object that has long been in focus of his attention. The artist is fascinated by the ubiquity of the chair, its omnipresence on the surface of the planet, and the implications of hospitality that this simple piece of furniture provides. As media scholar and inventor of pop-up ads Ethan Zuckerman notes in his blog, “Monobloc offers no linguistic cues, no obvious signs that it’s been localized. Wherever you are, it’s at home.” For Kuril Chto, the chair is “a character” that “opens up to me and through it, I study and learn about the world, reflecting on what is going on.”

Given that the Biennial’s topic this year deals with the universal state of displacement, it is only fair to invoke a design mainstay that is always “at home,” regardless of the geopolitical thunderstorms that are raging around it. The Venice iteration of Kuril Chto’s extensive reimagining of the monobloc is dedicated to the figures that are usually absent from the current narrative of the nomad, the fugitive, and the stranger. As the artist moved from country to country, and from context to context, he always encountered a helping hand, people who were ready to provide assistance and generosity, asking nothing in return. This installation is dedicated to the contemporary descendants of princess Nausicaa from Homer’s Odyssey, who gives food and shelter to the titular character in book six.

In a humorous twist, the installation presents a world devoid of sitters. Several paintings of the chair, utilizing the blue color reminiscent of Yves Klein, line the walls, along with bronze sculptures of the same subject. It is as if the exhibition of blue chairs is organized and consumed by the Monoblocs themselves, without any input from humans. In this way, the show is an instant success among the plastic public, given that the bulk of the space is filled by rows of beach tables and umbrellas, available for use by everyone who needs a break from the city’s relentless rhythm. Emotionally, the installation projects Kuril Chto’s reading of the chair’s ambiance: “nostalgia, loneliness, a kind of saudade.” On the other hand, the scenery implies the Monobloc’s reliability in an unstable world, evoking Blanche DuBois’ famous line in A Streetcar Named Desire: “Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

—Valentin Diaconov