Sitting in Silence: The Chair Show 01
ZAROLAT — Brooklyn, NY
Curated by Zeynep Arolat
Introduction
In Dumbo, Brooklyn, ZAROLAT presents Sitting in Silence: The Chair Show 01, a landmark exhibition exploring the chair as more than an object of function.
Curated by architect and founder Zeynep Arolat, the show forms a dialogue between design history, contemporary craft, and the quiet power of reflection. With works spanning vintage icons to experimental new pieces, Sitting in Silence reframes the chair as sculpture, memory, and even protest.
The Exhibition
For Arolat, the show is deeply personal:
“I always wanted to do a chair show because of course I am obsessed with chairs as an architect who also designs chairs.”
The exhibition brings together independent designers and unexpected materials, weaving moments of humor throughout. Highlights include:
These works playfully extend beyond function, becoming objects of irony and surprise.
Alongside contemporary pieces are prints, maquettes, and posters that position the exhibition within a larger design lineage. In a rare inclusion, two vintage chairs — Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair and the Eames Plywood LCM Chair — tie the collection to its historical roots.
By juxtaposing the historic and the experimental, the show builds a multilayered narrative in which each chair becomes both a witness and a participant in cultural memory.
Themes
At its core, Sitting in Silence examines the emotional, political, and cultural weight of the chair. From thrones to domestic seats, chairs embody authority, access, labor, and care. They carry stories of power, silence, and individuality.
Visitors are invited to slow down, move through the space as choreography, and reflect on how something as ordinary as sitting can become an act of presence.
Zeynep’s Perspective
Community and connection lie at the heart of ZAROLAT.
“Bringing people together and supporting our design community is what excites me the most,” Arolat shares.
Since opening the space, she’s found a new rhythm of life shaped by her neighbors and collaborators in Dumbo. Following Sitting in Silence, ZAROLAT will present a solo exhibition by a stone sculptor — its second solo artist show — alongside other collaborations that bring the studio’s collection into new contexts.
About ZAROLAT
Founded in 2018, ZAROLAT operates as both an architecture studio and a collectible art and design space. The Brooklyn-based studio champions dialogue between architecture, craft, and art — dissolving the boundaries between disciplines.
Shop the Collection
Three exclusive pieces by Sublime Studios — Bench 20, Chair 20, and Chair 11 — are featured in Sitting in Silence: The Chair Show 01 at ZAROLAT in Brooklyn.
These sculptural works are part of Sublime Studios’ ongoing exploration of form, balance, and materiality — where architecture meets art.
All three pieces are available for purchase through ZAROLAT .
