Anni Albers Inspired Chair: Introducing the "ANNI Chair"

The illustrious narrative of the Bauhaus movement is adorned with legends, pioneers, and visionaries. Among them, Anni Albers stands out as an emblem of color theory with her groundbreaking textile artistry. Following our recent focus on the current landscape of the movement, Adorno is now taking the helm in curating a modern tribute to this stalwart of design with the unveiling of the ANNI chair by Mexican Studio Comité de Proyectos & MAYE. As a creation that harmoniously intertwines Bauhaus tradition with contemporary artistry, the ANNI chair reflects a tribute to the Mexican designers celebrating feminine creative collaboration.

The Inimitable Legacy of Anni Albers

In the realm of textile art, Anni Albers‘s work has set a benchmark, resonating with vibrant creativity and geometric mastery. Enrolling at the pioneering Bauhaus school, Albers, like many of her female peers, was restricted in her choice of discipline. This limitation led her to embrace textiles over painting. Despite such boundaries, Albers’s oeuvre pushed the envelope, presenting a fresh perspective to textile arts. The vividness of her creations, crafted meticulously using materials like metallic threads and horsehair yarns, boldly challenged conventional design norms of her time.

Anni Albers working by the loom — Anni Albers at work by the pedal loom © Josef & Anni Albers Foundation

Anni Albers Textile Design.
Orange, Pink, Blue. — Textile by Anni Albers, featuring a rich combination of pink, orange, and blue hues © Josef & Anni Albers Foundation

Further accentuating her legacy, Albers took inspiration from pre-Columbian textiles and ancient techniques. Moving from Berlin to the United States, her art evolved, beautifully amalgamating aesthetics with functionality. Every piece she crafted resonated with life, creativity, and an intent to redefine textile design.

A Contemporary Tribute to Anni Albers – Rooted in Female Collaboration

Taking a leaf from the collaboration between Comité de Proyectos and Maye Ruiz, the ANNI chair manifests the essence of shared artistic vision. This collaboration, much like the rendezvous between the studios at the Colorlife Trends 2023 event organized by Comex, epitomizes a brave and bold creative endeavor. The synergy, as beautifully described by Lucía Soto from Comité de Proyectos, was about creating something that echoed the spirits of both studios and more importantly, celebrated collaborative artistry among women. A case aligning with the EU’s initiative “The New Bauhaus” which aims to create sustainability both environmentally and socially by empowering women.

The ANNI Cacao Chair & Maye Ruiz © Mariana Achach

Design Philosophy: A Confluence of Color and Form

The artistic exploration behind the ANNI chair started with a decisive focus on color. Albers’s influence, especially her love for vivid and striking color palettes, formed the underpinning of this design expedition. Andrea Flores and Lucía Soto, the ingenious minds behind Comité de Proyectos since its inception in 2014, combined their design prowess with Maye Ruiz, the visionary behind the interior design firm, MAYE. This dynamic collaboration laid the foundation for a furniture piece that not only resonates with modern aesthetics but also pays homage to the Bauhaus luminary, Anni Albers.

Anni Albers inspired chair — © Mariana Achach

Lucía Soto, Maye Ruiz & Andrea Flores © Mariana Achach

The design imperative was clear: create a piece that spoke volumes about the collaboration between women. The partnership saw a beautiful intertwining of ideas, with Comité de Proyectos bringing to the table a chair design that awaited a fresh rendition. The outcome? An unexpected twist to an existing design, as Lucía Soto from Comité de Proyectos highlighted.

Deconstructing the ANNI Chair: When Bauhaus Legacy Meets Modernity

Silla de la Paz – ANNI limited editions of 50 © Mariana Achach

The underlying design for the ANNI editions took cues from the “Silla de la Paz” by Comité de Proyectos. A three-legged masterpiece, its rear support uniquely binds two wooden sections. This linkage is further elevated by two solid wooden sides that gracefully envelop the seat. This design intricacy sets the stage for the upholstered fabric that delicately highlights the chair’s curvilinear silhouette.

In honoring Albers’s legacy, two distinct versions of the chair were conceived: ANNI Cocoa and ANNI Toronja. With only 100 limited edition pieces crafted, each version bears the hallmark of Albers’s influence. The ANNI Cocoa, reminiscent of Albers’s “With Verticals” (1946), showcases a flamed finish. Conversely, the ANNI Toronja, taking inspiration from “Study for DO I” (1973), features a nostalgic touch of mahogany wood.

Both renditions, adorned with the timeless Linara fabric from Telas Romo, exude a delicate balance of cotton and linen, offering tactile finesse to the overall design.

Transcending Design Norms: A Vibrant Color Palette

ANNI Cocoa embraces purples and wines, while ANNI Toronja bathes in shades of orange and pink. As Maye Ruiz insightfully states, color has always played a pivotal role in design aesthetics. Drawing inspiration from geometry, art direction in cinema, and postmodernist architecture, the ANNI chair stands as a colorful and youthful representation, brimming with curves reminiscent of femininity.

A Testament to Creative Resilience

Lucía Soto, Andrea Flores & Maye Ruiz © Mariana Achach

The collaboration between Comité de Proyectos and MAYE wasn’t a serendipitous encounter. Led by visionary women, both studios embarked on a journey to honor a female creative genius who, in spite of the artistic limitations imposed upon her due to her gender, left an indelible mark on design history. In melding their talents, they’ve birthed a piece that pushes the envelope of conventional design, serving as a vibrant and dynamic homage to ANNI Albers’s legacy.

For connoisseurs of design and admirers of the Bauhaus era, the ANNI chair presents an opportunity to partake in this celebration. With its limited edition of 50 pieces each, available on Adorno, the ANNI chair is a testament to what collaborative creativity can achieve.