Wannenstühle (Pair)

Dieter Zimmermann

Radical, humorous, and unapologetically provocative, _Wannenstühle_ (Bathtub Chairs) from 1989 exemplify Dieter Zimmermann’s approach to found-object furniture and conceptual design. Crafted from sawn sections of zinc bathtubs, these chairs deliberately blur the boundary between functional furniture and sculptural statement. Zimmermann’s work challenges classical notions of form, comfort, and authorship. By recontextualizing a mass-produced sanitary object into a seat, _Wannenstühle_ confronts expectations of design utility while embracing irony and material honesty. Celebrated and criticized in equal measure upon their debut, the chairs were subsequently featured in numerous galleries and design exhibitions, where they quickly became emblematic of late-1980s European avant-garde design - a moment in which provocation functioned as both critique and strategy. Today, _Wannenstühle_ are regarded as collectible design objects, recognized for their conceptual rigor and enduring cultural impact. Both chairs are signed on the bottom.