{"title":"K207 I-V Invisible Labor","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eAlthough mass-produced, each chair carries traces of the people who made it. Individual signatures, handprints, and construction differences reveal the labor hidden behind industrial production.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"invisible-labor","title":"Invisible Labor Revived","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe leather upholstery, foam padding, elastic supports, and secondary materials were removed. During careful disassembly, previously hidden signatures, inspection marks, handprints, and construction details were revealed beneath the upholstery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe wooden frames were cleaned and stripped of upholstery materials. Only the first chair, signed by Yati, was lightly sanded. The remaining four chairs were cleaned through mechanical removal of glue and residue. Over time, Yati retained its natural wood color, while the remaining chairs developed a yellow hue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the process, the chairs were unintentionally left exposed to sunlight and the signatures began to fade. Some disappeared completely, while others remain partially visible. To preserve them, each signature was laser engraved into the corresponding acrylic backrest.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew acrylic seats and backrests were designed and installed in place of the original upholstery. The acrylic elements were modeled from a single chair, Yati, and reproduced identically for all five pieces. While the acrylic components are identical, the wooden frames are not. Small variations in dimensions and construction remain visible, exposing the human differences embedded within industrial production.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe intervention removes the layers that concealed the makers and returns visibility to the individuals behind the product. The original signatures will continue to fade, while their engraved counterparts remain.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TheKarst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52486370033976,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/files\/DSC_6333retouched.jpg?v=1781662305"},{"product_id":"invisible-labor-found","title":"Invisible Labor Acquired","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eFound in November 2025 on a sidewalk near Beverly Hills, where five chairs had been left for disposal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eLarge, comfortable chairs with thickly padded leather upholstery covering most of the structure. Carved details were present on the legs. Decorative tacks were used to secure the upholstery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe leather was torn in places and soiled, carrying a strong odor of cigarette smoke. Paint marks and splatters were present throughout. Despite the neglect, the wooden frames remained intact and well preserved.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TheKarst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52486377374008,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/files\/2025-06-0818.33.38_e16a6052-738f-4b60-b828-c95c7a481ba8.jpg?v=1781666023"},{"product_id":"invisible-labor-in-work","title":"Invisible Labor Research","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chairs were manufactured in Indonesia in November 1997. A surviving inspection card identifies the model as Flamboyan and records quality-control sign-offs for filler work, sanding, and finishing. Although produced on an industrial scale, disassembly revealed evidence of hand construction throughout. Variations in dimensions, staple placement, glue application, and upholstery work differed from chair to chair.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eFive chairs from the same set carried five different signatures concealed beneath the upholstery: Wall, Yati, Hartini, Din \u0026amp; BG, and Ngad. None of these marks were visible during the chairs' service life. Hidden beneath layers of leather, foam, and fabric, they survived only because the chairs were carefully deconstructed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eBased on the names, the workforce appears to have included both men and women. Five chairs carrying five different signatures suggest a factory of considerable size with an organized production process and division of labor. Some handprints preserved in the glue were exceptionally small, suggesting the work may have been performed by petite women or children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chairs also preserve evidence of resourceful manufacturing. Bicycle and scooter inner tubes were repurposed as elastic support elements. Woven polypropylene sacks from Pita Merah wheat flour, produced by PT Sriboga Flour Mill, were incorporated into the upholstery structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;\"\u003eThe chairs reveal a contradiction between industrial production and individual labor. Designed and sold as identical products, each chair preserves traces of a different maker. What appeared to be a single anonymous product was, in fact, the work of individuals whose contribution remained invisible to the user.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TheKarst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52486378455352,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/files\/2025-06-0814.01.00_6b21a65f-12d5-4d8e-b5d7-d913d57a4c8b.jpg?v=1781665986"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1002\/2086\/2776\/collections\/DSC_6333.jpg?v=1781066008","url":"https:\/\/thekarst.com\/collections\/chairs.oembed","provider":"TheKarst","version":"1.0","type":"link"}