Michael Pinsky: The Final Bid

In The Final Bid, Michael Pinsky transforms MAC’s First Floor Gallery into an interactive bidding platform. 

Visitors are invited to bid on second-hand chairs collected through an open call. Each bid alters a chair’s position as it hangs from the gallery ceiling: the higher the bid, the higher the chair rises, forming a dynamic kinetic sculpture. 

Using the chair as a universal, everyday object, Pinsky draws attention to the often-overlooked environmental cost of manufactured goods, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Temporarily interrupting the cycle of reuse, the chairs pause as aesthetic forms before moving on to new homes. While the exhibition provides a valuable service, it also highlights the potential for creativity and sustainability in reimagining preloved objects.

The Final Bid was commissioned by the Draiflessen Collection, Germany. It is the first time this installation will be shown in the UK.

Kindly supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery and Arts Council England. 

Image: Installation view THE FINAL BID by Michael Pinsky (2022/2023), © Draiflessen Collection, Mettingen 2023, photo: Henning Rogge