The MAC exhibition challenges the desire to buy new things by transforming the gallery into a powerful immersive installation, using a chair to explore the environmental impact of manufactured goods.
It will run from Saturday, 25 July to Sunday 4 October every Tuesday to Sunday.
Audiences will be encouraged to rethink the value of reuse, ownership and the circular economy.
At the heart of the exhibition is a live online auction featuring chairs generously donated by members of the public.
Suspended dramatically from the ceiling, the 72 selected chairs respond in real time to the value of incoming bids, rising and shifting to create a dynamic kinetic sculpture that visualises demand, desire and consumption.
Audiences can submit bids for their favourite chairs by visiting the gallery in person or viewing MAC’s auction platform online. The chairs rise in response to the value of each bid, literally setting the auction process into motion.
More than an auction, The Final Bid is a human exchange. At the close of the exhibition, original owners and successful bidders will have the opportunity to meet up, share stories and pass everyday objects from one life to another, revealing the personal connections embedded within ordinary possessions.
Proceeds from the chairs will be shared between the seller and MAC as a registered charity. Ahead of the exhibition, members of the public from across the UK generously donated chairs they no longer needed, transforming everyday, pre-loved furniture into a powerful artistic statement.
Michael Pinsky, artist of The Final Bid, said: “I first visited MAC while preparing my installation Pollution Pods and was struck by how busy it was on arrival. The building immediately felt alive, with people moving between exhibitions, performances, and workshops.
“This impressive breadth of activity, combined with the depth of expertise on site, creates a uniquely dynamic cultural environment. It is precisely this richness that makes MAC an ideal venue for The Final Bid, an exhibition that demands far more than a conventional gallery setting.”
