Make Yourself Comfortable

In the headline exhibition for Chatsworth in 2015 “Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth” the specially selected pieces by an array of internationally acclaimed, contemporary designers including Thomas Heatherwick, Marc Newson and Moritz Waldemeyer, sit alongside bespoke commissions by Raw Edges and Tom Price.

Work by students and alumni from Sheffield Hallam University are also on show, providing a geographical and design-related link to Chatsworth. All the items featured have been carefully selected to reinterpret either the space in which they are displayed, or an object from the existing collection, thereby deftly combining the traditional and the contemporary.

The exhibition showcases two specially commissioned designs for Chatsworth. Raw Edges presents Endgrain seating, situated in the Sculpture Gallery. This piece’s clever use of vibrant hues neatly references the 6th Duke’s desire for a colourful space to house his sculpture collection when the gallery was originally built in the 19th Century. Counterpart by Tom Price will be on display in the Chapel and consists of two blocks that sit together, but are materially and diametrically different. The dark block is made from coal, a reference to the mineral rights held by the Devonshire family while the other, lighter block directly references crystals in the mineral collection at Chatsworth.

Designs by students from Sheffield Hallam University appear in the Great Dining Room. The Victoria Dining Chair by Robert Hamilton is constructed from solid walnut, with silver touches, influenced by the house’s 17th Century Baroque collections. Hayley Lightfoot’s Cavendish Chair, features a backrest representing the Cavendish family motto of  ‘Safety through caution’. George Heath, designer of the Hart Chair, has referenced the shapes and patterns of the Great Dining Room. These designs sit side-by-side with works by the university’s alumni: designer Daniel Schofield and design duo Richard Bell and David Powell of Psalt Design.

“Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth” showcases the tradition of generations of the Devonshire family of acquiring, commissioning and providing a unique platform for work in a mix of media by leading artists and up-and-coming makers since the 17th Century. Positioned throughout Chatsworth, the exhibition affords visitors the opportunity to engage with the chairs on display and reinterpret the historic house in new and surprising ways; to take a seat and make themselves comfortable.

28 March – 23 October 2015
Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth
Chatsworth
Bakewell, Derbyshire