Mezza—Maiso excels at building bridges between disciplines. This is demonstrated by the team led by Verena Wohlkönig and Jürgen Hamberger in their interior design projects as well as in the curation of their collectibles. Their approach goes far beyond mere design—they create connections between design, art, architecture, and curatorial concepts. A prime example is their staging of the limited edition Gropius Lounge Chair: a photo series that blurs the line between art and design.
Collect them!
Which objects are truly worth collecting? Mezza—Maiso regularly provides answers to this question. In addition to their visionary interior concepts, such as the design for Hotel Nils am See, they also curate and create handcrafted furniture and accessories. Most recently, they introduced the Gropius Lounge Chair, a collaboration with the Ukrainian brand NOOM. Mezza—Maiso wrapped the chair in a Bauhaus-inspired design, limited to just ten pieces, featuring fabric from a French-Italian collaboration.
Creative Symbiosis
Mezza—Maiso is now staging the special edition of the Gropius Lounge Chair in collaboration with art expert Paula Watzl. Through the project Objekt—im Kunstraum, they create a dialogue between art and design, capturing the resulting scenes in a series of photographs.
Since abstract art must exist in dialogue with a design object, it becomes perceptible in a new way—and vice versa. This silent conversation between art and design can inspire viewers to challenge familiar perspectives.
Paula Watzl
For this project, the Gropius Lounge Chair was paired with works by three artists: Robert Lettner (Kunsthandel Giese und Schweiger), Julia Brennacher, and Michael Ornauer (Galerie SUPPAN). The selection criteria were not only based on gender diversity and different career stages of the artists but also on achieving a balanced interplay of harmony and tension—both in form and color—between the artworks and the lounge chair.
The result? A photo series that encourages reflection on what happens when design and art are brought together on an equal level.
Does the artwork become more approachable when furniture is placed in front of or beside it? And could it be that the lounge chair itself is now perceived as a contemporary exhibit in its own right?
We are always excited about interdisciplinary projects and strive to promote the broad appreciation of art and design wherever possible.
Jürgen Hamberger
photos: Mezza—Maiso, Sera Sara