comfortably being /// being comfortable in utopia

Jimmy Turner; Francesca Vale; Ekaterina Shurkova; Jennifer Williams; Matjaz Vidmar; Katucha Bento; Helena Catt; Kayla Chen; Pei Xin Liu; Paul McNulty-Brown; Dee Orlowska; Chris Scott; Steve  Earl; Noëlle Cobden; Peter Bentley

comfortably being /// being comfortable in utopia

Jimmy Turner^* (Curator)
, Francesca Vale (Curator)
, Ekaterina Shurkova (Curator)
, Jennifer Williams (Curator)
, Matjaz Vidmar (Curator)
, Katucha Bento (Curator)
, Helena Catt (Curator)
, Kayla Chen (Curator)
, Pei Xin Liu (Curator)
, Paul McNulty-Brown (Curator)
, Dee Orlowska (Curator)
, Chris Scott (Curator)
, Steve Earl (Curator)
, Noëlle Cobden (Curator)
, Peter Bentley (Designer)

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Non-textual form › Exhibition

Abstract

This exhibition was the culmination of a 1.5 day process in which a group of strangers came together to conceptualise, design, and make seven seats /// chairs /// places to comfortably be together in a possible utopia where all might gather on equal terms.
This was one utopia, grouped together based on theme /// material similarities /// concepts.
We invite you to come to know our chairs, and to think with them.
We invite you to design your own places to comfortably be and include them within the exhibition. We invite you to identify absences and help us to curate them.
We invite you to find your own way to be comfortable.

Original language	English
Media of output	Installation
Publication status	Published - 15 Nov 2024
Event	Utopia Lab Autumn 2024: Seats at the Table - Edinburgh, United Kingdom Duration: 14 Nov 2024 → 15 Nov 2024 https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/utopialab/utopia-lab-autumn-2024-seats-at-the-table/

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

furniture
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Binks Hub
curation-as-method

Type (for Non-textual outputs)

Sculpture

1 Active
2 Finished

Binks: The Binks Hub - Co-creating research for human flourishing
Davidson, E. (Principal Investigator), Roesch-Marsh, A. (Principal Investigator), De Andrade, M. (Principal Investigator), Turner, J. (Researcher) & Bull, R. (Other)
1/04/21 → 28/02/27
Project: Research
Utopia Lab: Keeping Death Close
Williams, J. (CoPI), Vidmar, M. (CoPI), Turner, J. (CoPI), Balfour-Oatts, J. (CoPI), Rushdy, K. (CoPI), Jo-Rushdy, R. (CoPI), Pell, L. (CoPI) & Aitken, L. (CoPI)
4/03/26 → 6/03/26
Project: Other
RaH: Recycling a Hospital
Turner, J. (Principal Investigator), Williams, J. (Principal Investigator), Kulyte, G. (Principal Investigator) & Shurkova, E. (Principal Investigator)
15/01/22 → 30/09/24
Project: Other

2 Exhibition
1 Other report
1 Artefact

Utopia and Failure - Academic Care Café: Rebuilding the University by Playing in the Rubbish
McKnight, H. (Curator), Lumm, K. (Curator), Turner, J. (Curator) & Roesch-Marsh, A. (Artist), 8 Sept 2025
Research output: Non-textual form › Exhibition
Empowered Journeys: A Co-Curated Exploration of Breast Cancer Surgery
Vale, F., Lydiate, E., Perry, A., Geraghty, M., Browne, S., Baker, K., Turner, J. & Wright, P., 8 Apr 2025, Edinburgh, Scotland: Edinburgh Diamond. 31 p.
Research output: Book/Report › Other report

Open Access
Surreal(ist) Chair’s Techno-liberation
Vidmar, M. & Bento, K., 15 Nov 2024
Research output: Non-textual form › Artefact

Open Access
File

6 Participation in workshop, seminar, course
1 Public Engagement – Festival/Exhibition

The Poetry and Art of Impractical Repairs
Turner, J. (Organiser), Williams, J. (Organiser), Balfour-Oatts, J. (Organiser) & Vidmar, M. (Contributor)
4 Dec 2025
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025 /// Utopia Lab - The Poetry and Art of Impractical Repairs
Turner, J. (Organiser), Williams, J. (Organiser), Balfour-Oatts, J. (Organiser) & Vidmar, M. (Contributor)
15 Aug 2025
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Exhibitions as sites of impact generation
Turner, J. (Organiser), Roesch-Marsh, A. (Organiser), Jeffery, L. (Organiser), Albert, A. (Organiser) & Vale, F. (Organiser)
29 May 2025
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Cite this

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title = "comfortably being /// being comfortable in utopia",

abstract = "This exhibition was the culmination of a 1.5 day process in which a group of strangers came together to conceptualise, design, and make seven seats /// chairs /// places to comfortably be together in a possible utopia where all might gather on equal terms. This was one utopia, grouped together based on theme /// material similarities /// concepts. We invite you to come to know our chairs, and to think with them. We invite you to design your own places to comfortably be and include them within the exhibition. We invite you to identify absences and help us to curate them. We invite you to find your own way to be comfortable.",

keywords = "furniture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Binks Hub, curation-as-method",

author = "Jimmy Turner and Francesca Vale and Ekaterina Shurkova and Jennifer Williams and Matjaz Vidmar and Katucha Bento and Helena Catt and Kayla Chen and Liu, \{Pei Xin\} and Paul McNulty-Brown and Dee Orlowska and Chris Scott and Steve Earl and No{\"e}lle Cobden and Peter Bentley",

year = "2024",

month = nov,

day = "15",

language = "English",

note = "Utopia Lab Autumn 2024: Seats at the Table ; Conference date: 14-11-2024 Through 15-11-2024",

url = "https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/utopialab/utopia-lab-autumn-2024-seats-at-the-table/",

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A2 - Catt, Helena

A2 - Chen, Kayla

A2 - Liu, Pei Xin

A2 - McNulty-Brown, Paul

A2 - Orlowska, Dee

A2 - Scott, Chris

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A2 - Bentley, Peter

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N2 - This exhibition was the culmination of a 1.5 day process in which a group of strangers came together to conceptualise, design, and make seven seats /// chairs /// places to comfortably be together in a possible utopia where all might gather on equal terms. This was one utopia, grouped together based on theme /// material similarities /// concepts. We invite you to come to know our chairs, and to think with them. We invite you to design your own places to comfortably be and include them within the exhibition. We invite you to identify absences and help us to curate them. We invite you to find your own way to be comfortable.

AB - This exhibition was the culmination of a 1.5 day process in which a group of strangers came together to conceptualise, design, and make seven seats /// chairs /// places to comfortably be together in a possible utopia where all might gather on equal terms. This was one utopia, grouped together based on theme /// material similarities /// concepts. We invite you to come to know our chairs, and to think with them. We invite you to design your own places to comfortably be and include them within the exhibition. We invite you to identify absences and help us to curate them. We invite you to find your own way to be comfortable.

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KW - Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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ER -

comfortably being /// being comfortable in utopia

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Type (for Non-textual outputs)

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Research output

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Cite this