Helmut Palla: Mutants

This autodidact and ‘deconstruction designer’, as he calls himself, was born in 1958 and began his professional career as an advertising photographer. He then turned to design, where he usually functions as both a designer and manufacturer, specialising in one-of-a-kinds with a powerful and often experimental character. After projects like the Tatgalerie (design for the 2nd and 3rd skin), B.Ä.N.G. (the construction of aesthetic utilitarian objects), and Turniture (gymnastics apparatuses turned & tuned), the ‘chair-man’ has occupied himself primarily with chairs, stools, and sitting. vienna based artist and designer helmut palla transforms found furniture into unusual pieces of art.  Palla has been collecting various objects for many years, reconfiguring them in his studio. one of the main themes in his work is furniture and its functionality. while all his works use elements from furniture pieces, many do not function as such. In this light palla questions the functional role of these objects, showing us new possibilities that deconstruct the familiar. Is a chair a chair if you can’t sit on it? Is a chair a chair, even if it doesn’t conform to the archetypal form? These questions often come to mind when looking at palla’s transformed designs.