Vitra Exhibition, Dwelling from Matten

Building a bridge between the present and the past

Vitra’s furnishings bring a sense of life to the dwelling from Matten, creating a vivid contrast with the historic fabric of the building. But that’s not all: the collaboration between Vitra and Ballenberg also highlights parallels in the history of the development of furniture and objects.

Modern design and rural culture have more in common than meets the eye – the concepts of longevity and sustainability, for instance, which peasant households adhered to long before the terms for them existed. Over the centuries, farmers and craftspeople improved and simplified their tools until they aligned with a guiding principle that modern designers would later put into words: reducing an object to its most essential elements. But the way we live is about more than being functional. Back then, as now, people were also driven by a desire for decoration and aesthetics.

Iconic classics, such as the Eames Lounge Chair, designed in 1956, or Jean Prouvé’s furniture from the 1940s, fit into the house just as well as contemporary designs by Jasper Morrison or Antonio Citterio.