Dutch, More or Less: Contemporary Architecture, Design and Digital Culture
Dutch, more or less is an exhibition about thirty years of design from the Netherlands. Up-and-coming designers have been invited to create new work for this exhibition, offering a glimpse into the future of (Dutch?) design. The second in this series of temporary installations is Nieuwe Planter's Chair, by Yassine Ben Abdallah and Mileno Guillorel-Obregón, on view from 7 November 2024 until 30 March 2025.
With their Nieuwe Planter's Chair, designers Yassine Ben Abdallah and Mileno Guillorel-Obregón reimagine a design familiar from colonial times. With the deconstruction and reconstruction of the chair, they explore the traces of colonialism in modern design practice.
Present in the Dutch colonies, the Planter’s chair was originally crafted exclusively for the relaxation of the white male colonist, its design—a low seat, reclining back and armrests extending into footrests—was built for indulgence. From his seat of privilege, the white planter would recline in comfort, gazing at ‘his’ domain while people native to the land served and attended to his needs. The chair itself embodies the privilege and detachment of those who claimed dominion over occupied lands, loaded with racial and gendered power dynamics.
In this contemporary reinterpretation, Yassine Ben Abdallah and Mileno Guillorel-Obregón deconstructed a traditional Planter’s chair and redesigned it using industrial aluminium profiles. By juxtaposing these materials, the piece draws a direct parallel between the extractive practices of colonialism and the global supply chains of today’s design industry. The result raises a critical question: Where does the new plantation sit?"