Barcelona Chair: The Show Piece Of German Art
Early in the 20th Century the political arena of Europe was changing; this was after the Bolshevik Revolution. An exodus of people of the Eastern Block of Europe took place and they were taking refuge in the more liberal Western Block of Europe. New ideas in art and culture evolved with the blend of east and west cultural trends. A silent revolution took place in Europe.
Germany was no exception of this, a massive influx of refugees from the Bolshevik countries put Germany into economic pressure. Germany was looking ahead for technical innovations for economic prosperity. Barcelona World Fair in 1928 was as show case where European nations had the opportunity to exhibit their prosperity in cultural and in industries.
Germany put up a special pavilion to show the whole Europe their skill and expertise in industrial art. The building of the German Pavilion itself designed by Georg Kolbe was an architectural feat and reflected the progress of German Art and Culture. Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich were also entrusted to work in this Pavilion, where they were responsible to exhibit German innovation in modern furniture industry. Their creation the barcelona chair was an excellent example of Germany’s new innovation in industrial art. The chair was very well accepted by the visitors and gained wide popularity; just like Bertoia Stool and Le Corbusier Chair the other revolutionary chairs, which had never lost its appeal till today, people still love these chairs as prized possessions.