Ron Arad is, of course, familiar with the anatomy of a chair, but the designer-architect's far more likely to turn a seat into artwork, as the image here demonstrates. Titled New Orleans, the glass-fiber and polyester hybrid is from a series of 18—and just one of dozens of Arad's signature designs now on display at the Centre Pompidou. The retrospective is called No Discipline (to which, of course, the designer claims he belongs) and includes projections of Arad's architectural creations throughout the space, along with a full-scale reproduction of his Tel Aviv Opera House foyer. Paris not in your travel plans? The collection is set to travel to MoMA next summer, but in the meantime, the designer has a solo show in Manhattan called Guarded Thoughts. The latter show emphasizes his new direction—highlighting the sculptural qualities of his furniture. In other words, pay attention to the "Do not sit" signs.
"No Discipline," through Mar. 16, at Centre Pompidou, Place Georges Pompidou, Paris, (011) 33-(0)1-44-78-12-33, centrepompidou.fr; "Guarded Thoughts," through Dec. 20, at Friedman Benda, 515 W. 26 St., NYC, (212) 239-8700, friedmanbenda.com