A sucker for brand new releases in furniture design that debut in a big way, the “7 Electric Chairs… As You Like It” by avant-garde director and stage designer Robert Wilson stopped me in my tracks. Unlike normal contract seating collections, the seven Electric Chair designs that he made for Kartell are truly extraordinary – using transparency and electricity as its primary mediums.

Electric Chair. Designed by Robert Wilson. Manufactured by Kartell.

Clear Chairs with Neon Lights Create Quite a Dramatic Event: The Electric Chairs by Robert Wilson for Kartell.

Using a transparent polycarbonate in many different shapes and sizes, the look may be extremely new with the use of white-colored neon lights inserted within, but the feel of it is still very Kartell. The company tends to use polycarbonate more than any other to differentiate their design brand from others in their niche field. And in the “7 Electric Chairs… As You Like It” collection that made its worldwide debut at the Arturo Toscanini box foyer at the Teatro alla Scala di Milano, the dramatic setting was perfect for the ultra-Kartell yet magical stage presence of the unique chairs by Robert Wilson.

The collection was created on behalf of his 70th birthday, and the name of the chair’s collection taking on the “As You Like It” addition comes from William Shakespeare’s comedy of the same phrase. Using two of Wilson’s all-time favorite elements – chairs and light – each of the chairs in the collection have a thickness of 20 mm. Inside of the clear sides, the neon tubes are inserted, giving them each a different form of expression. Claudio Luti, President of Kartell, says of the collection in an interview: “The meeting with Bob was on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile 2010, when he came to see the ‘Invisibles’ by Tokujin Yoshioka. From there was born the idea of using transparent polycarbonate to create a collection of chairs.”

Whether its the history of the legend of Robert Wilson, his admiration for mixing lights and transparency, or the fact that you’re a diehard Kartell fan, the “7 Electric Chairs… As You Like It” are a collection you won’t want to miss out on.

About the Manufacturer: Kartell is a 59-year old company with a young spirit and contemporary aesthetic defined by the company’s strategy that leans towards advancing technology and understanding the atmosphere of each period’s design. The domestic designs are an important part of the equation for the Italian-based manufacturers, with a countless cast of famous designers that range from Ron Arad, Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni to Enzo Mari, Patricia Urquiola and Tokujin Yoshioka.