Kassel Art Academy

When classics open up new possibilities: 
Design students in dialogue with Thonet

As part of the 2025 tour of the Kassel Art Academy, students of the product design programme presented their work from 24 to 27 July 2025. The tour theme, ‘Extase’/‘Ecstasy,’ was a voluntary invitation to explore the artistic and social potential of ecstatic states as a response to current debates about fear.

Under the direction of Ayzit Bostan (Professor of Textile Product Design), the product design programme developed designs based on Thonet furniture. Both bentwood and tubular steel furniture were creatively inspired or functionally reimagined.

This resulted in playful objects such as a swing with a cane seat or an interpretation of the bentwood chair 209 as an oversized motor skills loop. Other approaches provided useful everyday aids such as a wall shelf for organising objects and an addition to the B 97 side table in the form of a leather bag for storing magazines or similar items. A three-legged stool design with leather upholstery, based on a bentwood stool design, also plays with the material leather. A lamp reminiscent of the iconic B 19 was also developed. The interpretations with a long fabric slipper and another with stylised cane made of milled, shiny metal take a more artistic approach.

The young designers received active support from Thonet employees during the development process and production – an inspiring collaboration for everyone involved. In addition to Professor Ayzit Bostan, Dipl.-Des. Sandra Spoo from the Textile Product Design department also contributed in numerous discussions with students. Dipl.-Des. Darius Zalzadeh supported the team with technical problem solving.

Photography: Fabian Frinzel