Two years ago, artist Eilon Armon exhibited a design project at the Design Museum in Holon, Israel in collaboration with Brooks England Co. The exhibition featured 11 chairs based on the Brooks England bicycle saddle and was well received by critics and the public alike. Now, he has begun a new project based on one of the chairs in the museum. The chair consists of parts of a bicycle frame attached to a curved wooden board which allows the chair to rock. The rocking chair features the famous Brooks saddle designs, along with the recycled parts of abandoned or broken bikes. For Armon, this is an important ecological project that gives new life to otherwise wasted materials. The rocking chairs will be displayed in a pop-up store exhibition where patrons will be able to customize their own chairs for purchase. All the proceeds from Armon's chair sales will be donated to the Israeli Fund for UNICEF. The purchase of one chair will allow UNICEF to donate two bicycles to children in need in the developing world. This is a mission close to Eilon Armon's heart as he believes strongly in bicycles as a means of self-reliance and as an environmentally conscious mode of travel. This partnership gives UNICEF the opportunity to provide an invaluable asset for impoverished children. As Armon writes, "I believe that a bicycle is the most wonderful present a child can receive. In addition to the benefits of fun and sport activity, bicycles provide mobility. Bicycles allow children to go anywhere on their own – granting them independence." The gallery exhibition will take place in Tel Aviv on July 7th.
For more information, visit http://eilonarmon.com