Blending art, eroticism, and design, the architect duo Virginia Valentini and Francesco Breganze de Capnist debut four collectible pieces inspired by the depths of the sea. Hook Me Up by LATOxLATO is both an invitation and a provocation. The architect duo, Virginia Valentini and Francesco Breganze de Capnist, partners in both work and life, engage in a creative game of collaboration, daring, and playful mischief as they bring to life a series of suggestive and ironic mini sculptures.
These objects transcend the ordinary: design, art, and pleasure. In a deliberately subtle reference to eroticism and sexuality, which eschews any didactic constraints, the collection stimulates fantasy and imagination. The delicate allusions begin with the project’s chosen name. “Hook Me Up” echoes the slang of more ambiguous circles (“catch me,” “hook me up”). Yet, as “hook” also means “fishing hook,” it evokes the marine depths from which the collection seems to “fish” its precious creatures. These four refined and playful sculptures are as intriguing
in their forms as they are in their names: “Lovester” for the lobster, “Cuddlefish” for the fish, “Hugtopus” for the octopus, and “Sea Horny” for the seahorse. These elegant objects, rich with multiple meanings, emerge from the sea not to be hidden but to be displayed, to intrigue, to surprise, and to be surprised.
Each sculpture is carefully crafted from reclaimed marble, skillfully worked down to the finest details, and those who desire one will only know its color once it is created. The hues will depend on the stone available at the time. Great attention is also given to the packaging, which combines fine paper and almost aquatic transparencies that offer a glimpse of the sculpture within, adorned with the refined and delicate illustrations by Miada Schio Suppiej.
“The role of art is, above all, to provoke and open new perspectives. With the Hook Me Up project, we enjoyed exploring the boundary between art and design, investigating, in our own way, the realm of eroticism and sensuality with the evocative and dreamlike language that runs through all our work. The result is a series of small collectible sculptures that create a sense of intimacy with those who observe and touch them.”
– LATOxLATO founders Virginia Valentini and Francesco Breganze de Capnist
The unpredictable outcome of a refined exploration, Hook Me Is a novel variation on LATOxLATO’s metaphysical language, steering toward a mysterious physicality and joyous sensuality. The collection will be available starting September 2024.
