The End of Sitting is an installation at the crossroads of visual art, architecture, philosophy and empirical science, carried out in Amsterdam by RAAAF [Rietveld Architecture-Art-Affordances] and visual artist Barbara Visser in collaboration with Looiersgracht 60 (Soraya Notoadikusumo and Nadine Snijders), a new space for contemporary art, design and architecture.
The starting concept is that in our society almost the entirety of our surroundings have been designed for sitting, while medical researches suggest that too much sitting has adverse health effects. Especially in workplaces.
The designers have developed a concept wherein the chair and desk are no longer unquestionable starting points.
Instead, this surreal and futuristic installation solicits visitors to explore different standing positions in an experimental work landscape.
The End of Sitting is a spatial follow-up of “Sitting Kills” the recently released mute animation by RAAAF and Barbara Visser, developed for the Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands. It marks the beginning of an experimental trial phase, exploring a new ergonomics, the possibilities of radical change for the working environment and to invent innovative and unknown “ideal” postures.
Credits
Client: RAAAF i.c.w. Looiersgracht 60
Installation: Ronald Rietveld, Erik Rietveld, Arna Mackic
RAAAF studio support: Clemens Karlhuber, Bastiaan Bervoets, Elke van Waalwijk van Doorn, David Habets, Mees van Rijckevorsel, Marius Gottlieb, Janno Martens
Production: Landstra & de Vries supported by Schaart Adventures
Team production: Bouwko Landstra, Alko de Vries, Basile Mareé, Boris de Beijer, Chris Bakker, Dino Ruisen, Ellik Bargai, Frits Ham, Hans Jansen, Jasper van Heyningen, Jolanda Lanslots, Kier Spronk, Koen van Oort, Koos Schaart, Lika Kortmann, Lucas van Santvoort, Luuc Sonke, Mark Jooren, Patrick Mulder, Syb Sybesma, Tim Mathijsen, Tomm Velthuis
Made with support by: Mondriaan Fund, Stichting DOEN, The Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK), Looiersgracht 60, The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
Status: completion 2014
Photography: Jan Kempenaers (color), Frederica Rijkenberg (black&white)
Client vision Sitting Kills: Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands
Vison Sitting Kills + The End of Sitting: RAAAF | Barbara Visser
Animation: Olivier Campagne, ArtefactoryLab
