ABOUT TRANSITION, AN ID SPECIAL PROJECT

For India Design ID 2025, the special exhibition, TRANSITION, explores the Chair as a mirror to the creator’s mind in the post-pandemic era—a time defined by increased consciousness in innovation and experimental forms of expression. Here, the Chair becomes a canvas for exploring the boundaries of aesthetics, functionality, craftsmanship, and social responsibility in design. The exhibition prompts the viewer to reflect on the various internal and external influences that shape every piece. 

This exhibition aims to showcase forty-five Chairs created in India, between 2020-2025 on a common platform, exposing the viewer to a single medium’s diverse possibilities and interpretations. While some celebrate traditional craft and technique, others venture into abstract concepts that blur the line between furniture and sculpture. This curated ensemble of 45 Chairs, designed by 45 individuals, collectively captures the essence of change and rejuvenation of various ideologies. TRANSITION is an invitation to rethink the humble Chair as a powerful symbol of shifting philosophies. By reimagining this everyday object, the designers alter how we interact with our environments, communities, and ourselves. We simply must ask ourselves: How do we perceive this usual object? Every Chair in this exhibition invites us to sit, reflect, and engage—to redefine the possibilities of what a single chair can be.

ALL THAT A CHAIR HOLDS

A Chair is never empty, really. A Chair is a snapshot in time. It constantly encompasses the memories of the past, the narratives behind its craft, and the virtues of the present. In Eugene Ionesco’s famous play “The Chairs”, he associates this ordinary object with the futility of nothingness. But as we travel ahead and find ourselves in the post-pandemic era, cinematic narratives and modern theatrical representations have taken the liberty to identify chairs as analogous to several interesting concepts—artisanship, measure of craft, luxury, relationships, and many more. While this everyday artefact may seem like a mere mundane addition to any space, depending on its quality, appearance, and material, chairs have the wondrous capability to become emblems of time, culture, and craftsmanship. A Chair, then, can be more than just an object of utility; it is a testament to ingenuity, culture, and change. 

BEHIND THE SCENES OF TRANSITION

“The Chair is more than an object of utility; it is a testament to creativity, culture, and change,” says curator and India Design ID Fair Director Misha Bains. “The exhibition, TRANSITION, explores the Chair as a mirror of the creator’s mind in the present context—a time defined by increased consciousness in innovation and experimental forms of expression. Here, the Chair becomes a canvas for exploring the boundaries of aesthetics, functionality, craftsmanship, and social responsibility in design. The exhibition prompts the viewer to reflect on the various internal and external influences that shape each piece.”

AT THE 13TH EDITION OF INDIA DESIGN ID

India Design ID cordially invites you to the upcoming special exhibition, TRANSITION. This is an atlas of noteworthy pieces fashioned in the five years defined by a period of change, rapid technological evolution, and unparalleled innovation. It will showcase the intrinsic relationship between forty-five Indian-based designers and their creations. A Chair is never just a Chair. While at India Design ID, witness the magic of this quotidian object yourself. Whether to sit or not to sit, is something you can decide.

India Design ID will take place from 20-23 February 2025, at NSIC Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi. 

Book your tickets on BookMyShow.