ES Shelf

Konstantin GrcicWW-1999-134811

1999·Beech wood·152.4 × 45.7 × 5 cm (60 × 18 × 2 in.)

<p>The ES Shelf is an intriguing design that requires the user to take a leap of faith. At first glance, the bookshelf looks unfinished, perhaps even broken: the four shelves lean at awkward angles and appear unstable, as though they could not support anything for long. Once books are placed on the shelves, however, the poles that support the system stabilize and demonstrate the object’s ultimate fulfillment of its purpose. For Grcic, the ES Shelf was a statement of principle, illustrating that “it’s exaggerated to use technology that serves to build bridges just to hold up a few books, when a handful of sticks and the odd shelf will do.”</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1999
Medium: Beech wood
Dimensions: 152.4 × 45.7 × 5 cm (60 × 18 × 2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Konstantin Grcic

Artist

Konstantin Grcic

Konstantin Grcic is a German industrial designer working primarily in furniture, lighting, and tableware since the 1990s. His practice is characterized by a rigorous exploration of form and material constraint, where minimal aesthetic intervention meets functional precision. His work has been produced by leading manufacturers including Flos, Magis, and Kartell, and is held in the permanent collections of major design museums including MoMA and the Vitra Design Museum. Grcic's approach treats industrial production not as a limitation but as a fundamental generator of form.

Munich, Germany

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