Ron Arad injects movement into all of his designs, disrupting the traditional static nature of furniture. His 2010 exhibition at the Barbican in London, where the present model was exhibited, was titled Restless. The title seems fitting for a work that can be in constant motion such as this one. Providing an explanation for the exhibition title and his dynamic approach to design, Arad suggested Restless “because I can’t stay still in one place for too long.” To display Reinventing the Wheel (RTW), Arad placed the work on a sloped track which would allow it to roll back and forth. The work was released at one end and the sloped U-shape curve of the track allowed the bookshelf to roll precariously towards the edge before its momentum took it back in the other direction.
Swaying back and forth as it rolls down the track, Arad’s Reinventing the Wheel (RTW) appears to be just that - a wheel. As the work lurches forward, however, the books remain tightly held by the interior grid and level due to a balancing mechanism hidden within the design. By encasing the round shelf within a rotating shell, the bookcase can stay upright as it rolls. This work represents Arad’s post-modern design sensibility: he is not aiming to create a rational, utilitarian bookcase, but rather to make exciting furniture that engages the user in unexpected and creative ways. Arad doesn’t just reinvent the wheel but the bookcase, too.
