Pelusilla is a previously unknown chair-species that can live both indoor and outdoor. Its skeleton, made of a light, foldable aluminium structure, is combined with a synthetic-merino body. It is a light and portable creature with a cosy look, a hybrid specimen that represents two mirrored trading routes. On the one hand, millions of Australian Merinos travel to China aided by sophisticated technologies for livestock transport. On the other, tons of synthetic components that become imitation sheep fur are shipped from China to Australia in containers. Thirty square meters of synthetic fur were bought in Wagga Wagga, one of the cities in Australia that delivers large amounts of sheep product into both national and international markets, which was then used to fabricate thirty Merino chairs.
Pelusilla was initially commissioned by the New Landscapes Institute to be exhibited at The Long Paddock, an exhibition that took place in 2017 at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. Soon, a flock of Pelusillas left the gallery to host a conversation between farmers, artists, aboriginal activists and designers that occurred at the riverside in Wagga Wagga’s countryside.
Since then, the Pelusillas have been exhibited at the Waga Wagga Art Gallery (2017), at the Australian Design Centre as part of Workshopped 18 (2018) and at the second edition of The Long Paddock at the Bank Art Museum Moree (2018).
