The Chairity Project
14 Australian and New Zealand creative talents have bravely reinterpreted the work of Hans J. Wegner’s CH33 chair for Carl Hansen & Søn. The Chairity Project brings together charity, creativity and iconic Danish Design. The 14 completed chairs will be auctioned off online at http://stores.ebay.com.au/bidsforgood/chairity The bidding will open at 8pm on Wednesday 12th of November during the exhibition launch that will be held at the Cult Sydney Showroom. Bringing together a unique combination of of 14 Australian and New Zealand icons and an awareness of 14 charities this event is set to bring bidders from all corners of the world. Cult are thrilled to be faciliting this unique event and are excited to see the response, happy bidding!
DESIGNERS ALICE BABIDGE and ROBIN HEARFIELD QUOTE “The Chairity project gave me the opportunity to collaborate with my partner Robin Hearfield. Our dialogue about the project and the CH33 chair was constant and our resulting work developed so naturally. We have always been admirers of the assured form and cleanliness of Hans J. Wegner’s work and having spent the last few months closely working with this particular chair, the admiration has only grown. We chose the St Vincent de Paul Women and Children’s Refuge in the Inner West because it is close to where Robin grew up and he had such admiration for the support they offer the Inner West community.” THE CHARITY ST VINCENT DE PAUL WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S REFUGE INNER WEST The Women’s Refuge offers crisis accommodation and pathways out of homelessness for women and children escaping domestic violence by providing services that support families back to independence. Whilst providing traditional services such as accommodation and medical assistance, families are also supported through intensive case management, education and training, advocacy and social reconnection. Adopting a trauma informed and person-centred approach, staff work with families to not just resolve their homelessness but to help rebuild their lives. WEBSITE vinnies.org.au
DESIGNER BASSIKE – Deborah Sams and Mary-Lou Ryan MATERIAL Grey felt and special white stitch QUOTE “We feel honoured to be reinventing an iconic example of industrial design. Our interest in design has always extended beyond the boundaries of fashion. It’s such a pleasure to be applying our craft to a different field of design. Our chosen charity is Mirabel Foundation and we have worked with them for many years through the Give In Style clothing events. We are blown away by the work Mirabel Foundation do for children who have been orphaned due to parental illicit drug abuse and feel really passionate about supporting their important mission in any way we can.” THE CHARITY MIRABEL FOUNDATION
The Mirabel Foundation assists children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use and are now in the care of extended family (kinship care). Mirabel’s vision is the belief that every child deserves a childhood and our mission is to break the destructive cycle of addiction. Mirabel supports children aged 0-17 years and works at restoring a child’s sense of self-worth, belonging and hope for the future in order for them to reach their full potential as young adults. WEBSITE mirabelfoundation.org.au
DESIGNER TRACEY DEEP PROJECT NAME ‘Florence’ MATERIAL ‘Shadows’ by Florence Broadhurst A COLLABORATION WITH Signature Prints QUOTE “The Chairity Project was a great opportunity to work with an iconic design and most importantly help raise funds for my chosen charity, The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. I have chosen The Indigenous Literacy Foundation as a way of giving more opportunities for Indigenous children in remote communities, raising literacy levels with early exposure to quality books and educational resources, developing skills and life opportunities.” THE CHARITY INDIGENOUS LITERACY FOUNDATION The Indigenous Literacy Foundation has the vision to make a positive difference in the lives of Australian Indigenous children by focusing on ways to improve their literacy levels. The core aim of ILF is to make a positive and measurable difference in the early literacy levels of Indigenous Australian children in order to raise their prospects in schools. WEBSITE indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au
DESIGNER DINOSAUR DESIGNS – Louise Olsen and Stephen Ormandy MATERIAL Hand-painted in acrylic paint QUOTE “We felt very honoured to be involved in this project and loved celebrating the beautiful work of Hans J. Wegner. We’ve always admired his incredible body of work and are thrilled to be able to re-interpret it for a charity which is very close to both of us because The Garvan Institute is one of Australia’s pre-eminent facilities at the forefront of cancer research.”
THE CHARITY GARVAN INSTITUTE Garvan researchers work very hard to attain a high rate of success with funding from Government through competitive grants. But, these grants do not cover the full cost of research. In fact, for every $1 received by Garvan in grants, they must raise another $0.70 to be able to fully achieve the potential of their research. Garvan are committed to finding the answers, sooner, ensuring a healthier future for all Australians. WEBSITE garvan.org.au
ARTIST KEN DONE PROJECT NAME ‘Sydney Harbour’ Chair MATERIAL Hand-painted in acrylic with sgraffito technique applied QUOTE “I was happy to be apart of the Chairity Project and to make my Sydney Harbour chair. It seemed like a good idea at the time and I hope it raises some money for UNICEF. I have been Australia’s Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF since 1988. The protection of young children in the poorest countries of the world will always be an important charity to support.” THE CHARITY UNICEF AUSTRALIA UNICEF’s work is guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a universally agreed set of standards which sets out the right of every child to reach their full potential. UNICEF works with many partners to overcome poverty, abuse and disease and to build a world fit for all children. WEBSITE unicef.org.au
DESIGNER COCO FLIP – Kate Stokes and Haslett Grounds MATERIAL assorted Kvadrat fabrics and leather QUOTE “Redefining a design icon as significant and beautiful as Hans J. Wegner’s CH33 was both a creative and a moral challenge for us. With such reverence for the original design, we chose the approach of embellishing the chair without altering the original object itself. The Wilderness Society thinks big when it comes to conservation and is a strong voice in the campaign to protect our natural environment. In today’s fast moving world, it is imperative that we advocate the protection of the natural assets that define and sustain Australia.”
THE CHARITY THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY The Wilderness Society is an Australian, community-based, not-for-profit, non-governmental environmental advocacy organisation. The purpose of The Wilderness Society is to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes across Australia for the survival and ongoing evolution of life on Earth. They work to safeguard sources of clean water and air, to tackle devastating climate change, to create a safe future for life on Earth, and to give a better world to our children. WEBSITE wilderness.org.au
DESIGNER ADAM GOODRUM PROJECT NAME ‘Just two good chairs’ MATERIAL Mirrors QUOTE “Hans J. Wegner is one of my heroes, so the thought of doing anything to one of his chairs seems sacrilegious. The CH33 in its raw state is so perfect, I felt real pressure with what to do… My dilemma was, do I create something functional or not? I decided on dysfunctional and cut the chair in half. My chosen charity is Surfaid who work toward improving the health and living conditions of people living in isolated regions.” THE CHAIRITY SURF AID The mission of Surf Aid as a non-profit humanitarian organisation, is to improve the health, well-being and self reliance of people living in isolated regions connected to us through surfing. WEBSITE surfaid.org
DESIGNER HECKER GUTHRIE – Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie MATERIAL Combination 1.5 & 2.5mm Vegetable Tanned Leather. Natural colour. #8 Bonded Nylon Thread. David Mellor Minimal Stainless Steel Cutlery; fork, knife and spoon. A COLLABORATION WITH Paul and Christina from Made Measure QUOTE “We were excited about this project because unusually we were our own client and we could explore ideas without restriction. The CH33 chair is a classic piece of furniture and it was important that we approached it in the same way
in which we would with architecture; by putting our stamp on it without redefining it. We collaborated with Paul and Christina from Made Measure who helped us develop our ideas into high-grade leather accessories. We chose My Room because we have a strong personal relationship with this charity. My Room has donated substantial sums to Royal Children’s Hospital for projects and initiatives to improve clinical care, research and quality of life for children with cancer.”
THE CHARITY MY ROOM My Room was founded 22 years ago and has contributed over $42.1 million to the Children’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Children’s Hospital in support of their clinical, research and building requirements. My Room has no overhead costs, ensuring all funds raised go directly to supporting the Children’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Children’s Hospital. My Room continues to support the Children’s Cancer Centre through the provision of specialist social workers, investment in research and support for the children and families at the Children’s Cancer Centre. Without the immediate and unwavering support of donations, My Room would not be able to raise funds or support the families at the Children’s Cancer Centre. WEBSITE myroom.com.au
DESIGNER GEORGE LIVISSIANIS MATERIAL Wood was treated with Yakisugi technique and Leather A COLLABORATION WITH Bermuda Black who realised the leatherwork and craftsmanship QUOTE “The Chairity project was an exciting project to be a part of to re-work, re-think, adapt and ‘pimp’ the CH33. I explored a process of burning the CH33 to a rich blue black finish which is an adaptation of the japanese burnt cedar process ‘Yakisugi’. I chose The Fred Hollows Foundation to donate all my proceeds to because I think the ability to restore sight is an amazing, almost miraculous gift and a very worthy charity.” THE CHARITY THE FRED HOLLOWS FOUNDATION The Foundation works with organisations around the world to restore sight to over one million people since its establishment in 1992. In the coming year, The Fred Hollows Foundation will be working on new initiatives in Africa, the Pacific, throughout South-East Asia and with our Indigenous communities here in Australia. WEBSITE hollows.org.au
DESIGNER MEGAN MORTON MATERIAL Frame is made of Tasmanian Oak and has been left with a raw finish like the chair. The spline joinery details are Tasmanian Oak too and have been ebonized. Glazing is UV Perspex. A COLLABORATION WITH photographer Earl Carter, framer Ryan Ward and sculptor, social commentator and arsonist Joost Baker QUOTE “It is the job of the stylist to change the way people perceive things. So out of love for Hans J. Wegner and his work, my response to the CH33 chair was totally counterintuitive. I wanted to convey the fragile nature of the true craftsmanship of the design world – how replicas reduce our scope for beauty and ultimately kill industry. I was involved earlier this year in a situation which really highlighted ‘referencing’; the stylist’s approach and the role we all play in ‘ok’ing’ replicas. It is a common artist practice to burn the ‘replica’ in question, so I imagined the sacrilegiousness of burning the Wegner for hopefully educating for a greater cause! My chosen charity is the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre because the current Australian government policy on forestry, asylum (which it is legal to seek), fracking, ageing and recycling embarrasses me.” THE CHARITY THE ASYLUM SEEKER RESOURCE CENTRE The ASRC’s vision is that all those seeking asylum in Australia have their human rights upheld and that those seeking asylum in our community receive the support and opportunities they need to live independently WEBSITE asrc.org.au
DESIGNER ROMANCE WAS BORN – Luke Sales and Anna Plunkett MATERIAL Romance was Born embroidered fabric QUOTE “Hans J. Wegner is one of our favourite furniture designers, so putting the Romance was Born twist on this classic was super fun. We chose to donate all our proceeds raised from the auction to Staffy Rescue because Anna got her dog ‘Monaro’ from Staffy Rescue 6 years ago and he comes to our office every day and is our little mascot. The contribution he has made to our lives in invaluable and if we can give something back to those who looked after him until he came into our lives it’s the least we can do.”
THE CHARITY STAFFY RESCUE Staffy Rescue is a no-kill animal shelter committed to saving and re-homing Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Large Breed Dogs. Staffy Rescue is committed to the rescuing, adoption and responsible ownership of English and American Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Large Breed Dogs. We understand that these breeds of dogs are misunderstood and have received a negative reputation. Staffy Rescue is committed to raising awareness and educating the community on the breeds. Our mission is to rehabilitate these gorgeous animals and enable them to be happy balanced members of society. The core of our charity is to ensure that every dog we re-home goes to the very best possible home to ensure happiness for both the dog and their adoptive family. WEBSITE staffyrescue.org
DESIGNER RYAN STORER MATERIAL Swarovski crystals QUOTE “Being involved in the Chairity Project was such an honour, of course being able to donate to a charity is the main focus but also working with such an iconic piece from a brand whose philosophy mirrors mine is so important. Just knowing that I am working on something that was designed and handmade by a skilled artisan makes a huge difference for me, and is why I have such respect for this brand, and also the reason we are celebrating this design from 1957 still today. I selected R U OK because of the simplicity of the message but also the strength of that one sentence, asking someone something so basic can make a huge difference.”
THE CHARITY R U OK? R U OK? Is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging and empowering all people to ask “Are you ok?” of anyone struggling with life. The vision of R U OK? Is a world where everyone is connected and is protected from suicide. WEBSITE ruok.org.au
DESIGNER TOKO – Eva Dijkstra and Michael Lugmayr PROJECT NAME ‘The Bloke Chair’ MATERIAL Natural beech timber and natural leather.
THE CHARITY ORANGUTAN FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL AUSTRALIA Orangutan Foundation International Australia (OFIA) has two core campaigns; caring for orphaned and displaced Orangutans at the OFI Care Centre in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo; and, securing habitat for their future release. OFIA currently helps care for over 340 Orangutans in their Care Centre. These Orangutans have been orphaned due to the destruction of their habitat caused by illegal logging, mining and palm oil plantations. Without the OFI Care Centre, these apes would be homeless and most likely dead. The Care Centre is a half-way house for Orangutans, providing them with food, shelter, love and attention until they are old enough to be released back into the wild. WEBSITE orangutanfoundation.org.au
DESIGNER ZAMBESI – Elisabeth Findlay and Neville Findlay QUOTE “The Chairity Project gave us the opportunity to express our Zambesi design ethic in an alternative medium and of course we are delighted to be associated with Hans Wegner and the 100 year celebration of his masterful minimal design. We chose to donate all proceeds from our chair to Cure Kids because nothing is more precious to us both than our kids.” THE CHARITY CURE KIDS The Cure Kids mission is to improve the health of children through research and its outcomes. At Cure Kids, the purpose is simple, every single day they are driven to find cures for the life-threatening illnesses that affect many of our children. WEBSITE curekids.org.nz
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