Zu[m] Tisch!

The protagonist of this publication is not the chair, but the table – for once! Whereas the chair has always been the ultimate designer object, the table has generally been cast in a subservient, almost incidental role. Which makes it all the more interesting. An unusual show devoted exclusively to the table at the Ludwig Galerie Schloss Oberhausen invites visitors to explore the many different facets of this subject and how artists have treated the humble table over the centuries. The catalogue assembles a veritable panoply of tables from contexts ranging from the ritual to the domestic. The arc that is traced extends from the vessels of the Ancients and seventeenth-century tableware to Picasso’s Frugal Repast and Warhol’s famous cans of soup. Unexpected pleasures are just as much a part of the experience as is occasional consternation. So join us at table!