A-Z Comfort Unit with Special Comfort Features by Dave Stewart 1994 - 1995

Curator: When I look at Andrea Zittel's "A-Z Comfort Unit with Special Comfort Features," I think of being a kid and building forts, creating these miniature worlds within a world. Editor: Absolutely. It feels strangely monastic, almost a confessional, with this box-like structure and its promise of contained comfort. The muted palette evokes a sense of asceticism. Curator: Right, but it’s also poking fun at our obsession with self-optimization. Zittel, whose work challenges how we live, is giving us a framework for comfort, but one that feels…manufactured? Editor: I agree, and the fact that it's meant to be 60 minutes long suggests a ritualistic duration. Is it true comfort if it has a timed expiration date? Curator: I think that’s the key. Zittel makes us aware of the absurdities of our desires. Comfort as a commodity, a scheduled activity. It makes me chuckle and then think. Editor: Well put. It certainly leaves you contemplating the symbols of comfort we construct for ourselves. Curator: For me, it’s a clever wink at the search for solace in a world that often feels designed to keep us just a little bit on edge.