The bizarre 'continental breakfast chair' video explained

2023-05-24 18:23

There's a chair on TikTok that has gone viral, and left viewers pretty confused... In the videos, the uniquely-shaped chair can be seen as women in suits climb onto the structure and sit in a strange position that doesn't look the comfiest. The chair was created by artist Anna Uddenberg as part of art installation by Meredith Rosen Gallery in New York where it was on display from March to April 2023. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The Swedish, Berlin-based artist who often explores "the merging of the body and self with technology" was for this piece inspired by "anesthetic armature of our increasingly automated environment and distorts it into sexualized pseudo-functional sculptures," according to a press release. “Similar to a BDSM contractual agreement, the body is wilfully supported, entrapped, pampered and ultimately rendered useless, all while on view for public consumption." @breakfastbyanna "Continental Breakfast" installation by Anna Uddenberg (2023) #fypシ #fyp #art #viral When it comes to the name of the installation - "Continental Breakfast" - it "speaks specifically to the body as an asset to modify, control in order to relinquish autonomy to user-friendly technologies," The strange seat takes aesthetic influence from airline seats, hospital architecture and hotel design, since "the sculptures express a hyper-functionality inaccessible to human use." This kind of sculptural and performative practice is what Uddenberg is known for. One clip from TikTok has over 48.9m views which shows several images of the chair as well as women in suits maneuvering themselves into the seat too. One person wrote: "Is it just me or dose anyone knows what it's used for." "To this point I have never understood this video," another person said. Someone else added: "Please what’s really going on here." Well, we're glad a breakdown of Uddenberg's vision has cleared this confusion up. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

There's a chair on TikTok that has gone viral, and left viewers pretty confused...

In the videos, the uniquely-shaped chair can be seen as women in suits climb onto the structure and sit in a strange position that doesn't look the comfiest.

The chair was created by artist Anna Uddenberg as part of art installation by Meredith Rosen Gallery in New York where it was on display from March to April 2023.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The Swedish, Berlin-based artist who often explores "the merging of the body and self with technology" was for this piece inspired by "anesthetic armature of our increasingly automated environment and distorts it into sexualized pseudo-functional sculptures," according to a press release.

“Similar to a BDSM contractual agreement, the body is wilfully supported, entrapped, pampered and ultimately rendered useless, all while on view for public consumption."

@breakfastbyanna

"Continental Breakfast" installation by Anna Uddenberg (2023) #fypシ #fyp #art #viral

When it comes to the name of the installation - "Continental Breakfast" - it "speaks specifically to the body as an asset to modify, control in order to relinquish autonomy to user-friendly technologies,"

The strange seat takes aesthetic influence from airline seats, hospital architecture and hotel design, since "the sculptures express a hyper-functionality inaccessible to human use."

This kind of sculptural and performative practice is what Uddenberg is known for.

One clip from TikTok has over 48.9m views which shows several images of the chair as well as women in suits maneuvering themselves into the seat too.

One person wrote: "Is it just me or dose anyone knows what it's used for."

"To this point I have never understood this video," another person said.

Someone else added: "Please what’s really going on here."

Well, we're glad a breakdown of Uddenberg's vision has cleared this confusion up.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.