midlands arts centre: the final bid
Black pleather spikes, skateboard decks, crochet and push pins don't usually come to mind when you think of chairs. Michael Pinksy's 'The Final Bid' changes all of that - showing for the first time in the UK at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham.
The exhibition shows the ordinary as something extraordinary. With the MAC calling out for pre-loved chairs from the public, this was a unique opportunity for people to turn their everyday objects into a piece of art.
However, the Final Bid is not your typical exhibition. The chairs scattered amongst the MACs first floor exhibition space transformed it into an interactive auction. Visitors are invited to bid on the chairs either in person or online, causing the chairs to rise into the air - a physical representation of each bid.
Walking into the exhibition space, I felt strangely emotional. It's almost as if I could feel the stories behind the chairs before reading about them. I felt grounded, what I saw in front of me was a reminder that we are all just people, with our own passions and our own stories.
My eyes darted around, taking it all in - the quietness around me was suddenly cut off by a mechanical clatter. To see a chair suspended from the ceiling and rising up was brilliant to see. It was in that moment that I knew this exhibition was something special.
The Final Bid will have you thinking 'what can a chair be?' Is it an everyday object you sit on, or perhaps a means of protest? Simply a piece of art to look at, or a way to upcycle? How we define chairs suddenly seems limitless and when you start delving into the stories behind them, this is more relevant than ever. Through the bidding page on the MACs website or on one of the tablets in the exhibition space, you can read about all the chairs donated.
I urge you to visit the MAC and see this exhibition for yourself. While everything can be viewed online (including a livestream so you can see all the chairs and how they move), wandering around in person and seeing all each chair and all their details is an experience not to be missed.
The Final Bid is open until the 4th October in the MACs first floor gallery 11am - 5pm.
Admission is free.
To support the exhibition, the MAC is hosting various events and workshops, including an artist talk with Michael Pinsky, a life drawing evening and a chair upcycling workshop. For more information, please visit the MAC website.