“The modern armchair. Otto Wagner and the architects of the Viennese Secession for J.& J. Kohn and Thonet” is an exhibition that celebrates the era of greatest splendour for the design of the bentwood chair. It is therefore dedicated to Otto Wagner (on the centenary of his death) and to the great architects of the time, masters of applied arts, visionaries and pioneers who pursued their dreams and ambitions with tenacity, diligence and enthusiasm.

The exhibition design creates five different scenarios – Thonet 1800, Paris Expo 1900, Otto Wagner’s Postsparkasse, Fledermaus café in Wien, Antonio Volpe factory in Italy – to emphasize the evolution of the exhibited bentwood chair and furniture. A video wall shows the bentwood production of the end of XIX century. A series of different bentwood chair silhouette hanging from the ceiling creates a playful effect of shadows all along the gallery. The collection of more than 50 bentwood chairs creates a timeline that represents the evolution of production, technique and society.