Knoll classics become unique works of art in the hands of Noel Mercado

Knoll worked with Chicago artist Noel Mercado to create three unique artworks inspired by its classic chairs. Working with the ‘Cesca’, ‘Spoleto’, and ‘Wassily’ chairs as his starting point, the artist applied his signature intervention using discarded car parts. 

The project is part of Knoll's mission to champion emerging artists (senior vice-president Jonathan Olivares told us more about the brand’s future in a recent interview), and Mercado's practice, based on repurposing found objects into furniture and garments, formed a perfect partner for the brand. 

Noel Mercado interprets Knoll classics

Having engaged with Knoll furniture early in his career, Mercado was noticed by the company and given carte blanche to imagine Marcel Breuer's designs in a new guise. For the ‘Cesca’ chair, he used hundreds of multicoloured 'Little Trees' air fresheners, encased in a Perspex seat and backrest and forming an abstract pattern. 'I always had a specific one hanging in my car throughout high school, [and] I still like the sculptural quality and the vibrant colours. It’s such a recognisable object,' he says. 

For the ‘Spoleto’ chair, he used car speakers on felt to give the design a new purpose, while his take on the ‘Wassily’ chair was made using woven seat belts, to create a piece that, according to Mercado, 'holds you up rather than holding you in'.

The works were handmade by Mercado, who used new Knoll frames for the project. 'Working on Knoll furniture requires a serious appreciation for the artists and the standards they set when they designed these pieces,' he says. 'Deconstructing Knoll furniture has taught me a lot about structure, materials, beauty, and the balance between them all.'

The three artworks are available for purchase directly from Mercado, with the artist receiving 100 percent of the proceeds.

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