Finland 1995, manufactured by R & D, steel, powder coated in aluminium colour, pressed plywood seat shell, black leather cover, height 98 cm, width 181 cm, depth 86 cm. Signs of age and use, scratches and abrasions, partly with slight traces of oxidation. (DRAX)

The “Netsurfer” prototype was first presented in the Snowcrash installation at the 1997 Salone del Mobile in Milan. Exhibition and catalogue: Snowcrash. A reminder of what is possible if one looks at the future with optimism, National Museum Stockholm, 4 May 2021 – 13 February 2022. The Finnish architects and designers Snowcrash revolutionised office furniture in the short time of their existence by combining new seating forms with high-tech features. Even their first appearance at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1997 turned into a celebrated work of art. The Finnish underground label “Sähkö” provided the music for the ambience lined with digital frescos, in which the artists appeared for the first time under the name “Snowcrash” – inspired by Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science fiction bestseller of the same name. Thus, the Netsurfer quickly became the iconic product of the high-tech community. Lower than a normal office chair, it captivates the viewer through its ergonomically designed and adjustable seat shell, a computer screen at eye level, equipped with neck pads for long and comfortable work while the legs rest, relaxed, on supports. The National Museum in Stockholm is now dedicating an exhibition to this Finnish design collective (which was bought by the Swedish company Proventus Design in 2003) about their short history and their new solutions at the intersection of the real and the digital.