Pop up my chair: The stools and benches in Jongha Choi’s “De-dimension” collection are part of his Master’s project at the Design Academy Eindhoven. He’s sure to bag a lot of attention in the social media: The playful design and the surprise effect of folding and unfolding the furniture is bound to set the heart of any dedicated Instagrammer racing. Made of aluminum, steel and stainless steel, the seats can be folded up and hung like decorative prints on the wall to save space.

For the folding mechanism Choi was inspired by so-called “pop-up books”. His project started with the question how different the perception of an object is when in 2D rather than 3D and to what extent this perception can be undermined and changed. At present, the Korean designer is experimenting with additional materials and models for “De-dimension”. by Anna Moldenhauer

The transformation to the seat is done with a handle. Made of aluminum, steel and stainless steel, the folded seats are robust and flexible.

The history of the image has always aligned with the history of the human race. In our vast history, it has been understood and depicted in various forms. Nowadays, owing to scientific technology, it is developing in its form, from photography, film and even further towards virtual reality. Even the advent of 3D printing skills shake our fundamental notion of the image. Unlike the past, we are not only seeing the image as a means of reproducing objects, but also giving essential identity to the image itself.

In other words, though the image still shows its visual effect on a flat plane, it is not just an expression of representation, but a making real an experience. In our current situation, in which modern society experiences the image, in relation to advertising, image circulation and the internet, why do we not question an images’ confinement to a flat surface.

Why don’t we try to get more stereoscopic and attempt for direct experience with the image. My question started with this point and I tried several experiments in order to realise this idea from a personal point of view.

Jongha Choi