During the third edition of Lisbon Design Week, Branca Lisboa presented The Chairman — a retrospective dedicated to the chair as both a functional object and a personal manifesto.

The title revisits a milestone in Marco Sousa Santos’ career: in 2009, during the Experimenta Design biennale, he curated an exhibition entirely focused on chairs — a moment that Frame Magazine described as a bold and necessary reflection on design’s most iconic typology. Fifteen years later, The Chairman returns to that theme, now through the lens of his ongoing work with Branca.

Held at our Lisbon showroom, the exhibition traced key moments in Marco’s path — from his very first design in 1991 to his most recent pieces. More than a timeline, The Chairman offered a reflection on the evolving relationship between material, structure, and use. Solid wood, aluminium, cork, leather — each chair tells a story of experimentation and a search for balance between artisanal knowledge and contemporary expression.

We thank all who visited and contributed to this celebration of design. For those who couldn’t attend, a selection of the exhibition remains on view at our showroom by appointment.