The Maarten Baas Empty Chair is a dedication, an honor and an awareness-raising tool. Designed in honor of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo for Amnesty International, the idea behind the chair is to support his campaign against the suppression of writers, journalists, artists and activists -- in other words, a tool in the fight for freedom of speech.
The seat's ladder reigns five meters tall and appears to "reach the sky," which according to DesignBoom, is a metaphor for the importance and accessibility of thought and speech to all. "Baas' chair design stands as a symbol for the chair that Liu Xiaobo did not sit in during the Nobel prize awards ceremony back in 2010, as he is currently serving an 11 year imprisonment for 'undermining the state'."
On May 28th, during the 50th anniversary of amnesty international, this "empty chair" will be presented and its significance detailed to those in attendance.
Photo Credits: designboom, maartenbaas
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Freedom of Speech Advocacy
- The Maarten Baas Empty Chair highlights the importance of accessible thought and speech to all and presents a trend in advocating for free speech.
- Symbolic Design
- The use of the empty chair as a symbol presents an opportunity for designers to create meaningful pieces that evoke emotion and raise awareness for various causes.
- Art as Activism
- The creation of the Maarten Baas Empty Chair demonstrates the growing trend of using art as a form of activism and social commentary.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Human Rights Organizations
- The Maarten Baas Empty Chair presents an opportunity for human rights organizations to collaborate with artists and designers to create meaningful campaigns to raise awareness for various causes.
- Furniture Design
- The symbolic design of the Maarten Baas Empty Chair presents an opportunity for furniture designers to create meaningful pieces with social commentary that bring attention to various causes.
- Art Galleries
- The Maarten Baas Empty Chair presents an opportunity for art galleries to showcase art pieces with a message and create social commentary exhibits to bring awareness to various issues.
