If You Love Chairs So Much…Why Don’t You BE One?

This workshop is part of the ongoing body of research on embodied knowledge, somatic ideation, and touch theory from The (Ari) Always Human Research Group, led by artist, industrial designer, and educator Ari Elefterin. 

In this workshop, you will…do exactly what the title says! Through a series of guided movements and somatic ideation exercises, we will examine the act of sitting—exploring questions of balance, gravity, support, and the body’s capacity to hold, adapt, and generate new possibilities for interaction. We will begin with a mind/body warm-up, followed by a series of somatic ideation exercises. Moving through several rounds of exploration, you will work from using only your body toward incorporating architectural props as you gradually move closer to becoming a “chair.” Along the way, we will embrace a spirit of humorous critique, playfully interrogating the design world’s enduring fascination with the chair as we expand, reimagine, and build our own vocabulary for what a “chair” might actually be.

Designed for dancers and non-dancers alike, the workshop requires no prior movement experience and is not discipline specific. All you need is a willingness to engage with your own embodied knowledge and curiosity. Participants will explore exercises involving giving and receiving weight with one another, making it an especially lovely experience to share with a friend.