Continental Breakfast Chair

Overview

Continental Breakfast Chair refers to the art installation "Continental Breakfast" by Anna Uddenberg, consisting of two custom chairs inspired by plane seats and hospital accessories in which a woman sits at a downward-facing angle in the chair, her elbows supported by straps, legs spread apart and posterior in the air. The installation, in which the woman sitting represents a symbol of passive submission, took place between March 18th and April 29th, 2023, and became the viral subject of reactions online, with many wondering about the purpose of the chair.

Background

Between March 18th and April 29th, 2023, the Meredith Rosen Gallery^[1] in New York held an installation by Anna Uddenberg called "Continental Breakfast." The installation consists of a padded chair resembling something you might see in a hospital and is inspired by plane seats and hospital accessories. The installation features a woman who sits in the chair, which situates her at a downward-facing angle with her posterior in the air (images shown below).

Hausa Novel^[2] explained the art piece as a challenge of "technology, authority, and wealth," writing, "It forces us to consider how functionality is used to exert control and whether we are willing to cede our independence to user-friendly technology in a world driven by data," further explaining that the piece blurs "the distinction between an object and a person, making us reevaluate utility and bodily autonomy."

Aural Crave^[3] wrote that the piece, " stages an act of submission, where the woman becomes the symbol of passive submission, and the eater is the individual in charge, using all tools he can buy/obtain to satisfy their needs."

Online Presence

The artist, Anna Uddenberg, advertised the installation via posts to her Instagram^[4] page, filet_minion_thong, showcasing the chair, including a post on March 22nd, 2023 that gained over 12,000 likes in two months. On March 30th, TikToker^[8] @thelifegallery posted a slideshow showcasing images of the piece, garnering over 185 million views in two months.

On April 4th, the TikTok^[5] page @breakfastbyanna, presumably run by Uddenberg, posted a video of the chair that gained over 813,000 views in a month. The chair became a viral subject of discussions and reactions online, with many trying to explain what the chair is. On April 9th and 11th, TikToker^[9][10] @jaystruckin, who claims he was looking for breakfast videos when he found the chair, posted two videos trying to describe it, garnering over 6.9 million and 26 million views respectively in a month (shown below, left and right).

On April 11th and 12th, two more videos of the piece were posted to TikTok^[6][7] by @breakfastbyanna that gained over 3.3 million and 49 million views respectively in a month (shown below, left and right). On April 26th, the chair was posted to /r/bizarrelife,^[11] garnering over 8,700 upvotes in a month.

Search Interest

External References