The End of Sitting
RAAAF
21 November – 7 December 2014

In November 2014, Looiersgracht 60 was proud to support The End of Sitting - an inquisitive installation at the crossroads of visual art, architecture, philosophy and empirical science. A collaborative work between RAAAF (Rietveld Architecture-Art-Affordances) and artist Barbara Visser, the piece sought to question the prevalent societal norm that is the act of sitting. Our constructed surroundings are designed around the assumption that sitting will necessarily occur, despite the fact that medical research suggest that prolonged sitting causes numerous adverse health effects. In light of this, the piece asks whether an organisation can be deemed sustainable if its physical work environment is not focused on promoting the long term health of its personnel. With an implied negative answer to this question, RAAAF and Visser set out to create an alternative environment: a new concept for the space in which many people do the majority of their sitting – the workplace. A concept wherein the chair and desk are no longer unquestionable starting points.

Experimentation and inquiry began with the collaborative creation by RAAAF and Visser of Sitting Kills, a mute animation which proposed how an office space could be a more active and healthy environment. In light of this work, the Chief Government Architect of The Netherlands’ invited RAAAF and Visser to develop a concept of a work place of the future. End of Sitting was of special interest to Looiersgracht 60 for its ability to go beyond the purely theoretical and transform the Chief Government Architect’s original invitation into a tangible 1:1 model. By creating a landscape which could be physically experienced The End of Sitting allowed for a critical evaluation of the project and an assessment of its potential impact on future workspaces.

Extensive research and collaboration with numerous experts preceded the design, which once finalised, was realised as a large faceted mass consisting of 1001 potential standing work positions. The public were encouraged to interact with, experience and reflect upon the piece. A landscape of affordances, the sculpture gives people the freedom to choose the optimum position and location in which to perform various tasks throughout the day. The sculpture offers angles to lean against, planes to lie on and a number of thoughtfully designed meeting spaces. Through an organic interaction with this environment, those working within the sculptural landscape are stimulated to remain physically and mentally active throughout the day.

Choosing to build the installation at Looiesgracht 60 afforded the endeavour an added contextual dimension. Historically a place of labour, the sculpture was built in an interior that still bears testament to its former functions as both a factory and bottling plant. As a project with a solid grounding in historical and scientific research, exhibiting The End of Sitting at Looiersgracht 60 engaged in an ongoing conversation about work environments in the past and present and a desire to make them healthier and increasingly sustainable spaces in the near future.