atelier biagetti: NO SEX clinic curated by maria cristina didero

atelier biagetti (alberto biagetti and laura baldassari) is known for dissecting contemporary cultural obsessions — interpreting and expressing the reality they perceive into provocative 3D objects. their latest endeavour, ‘NO SEX’, responds to the traditionally taboo subject of sex. ‘sex sells’ and it is all around us, subliminally and explicitly through ad campaigns, billboards, available on demand on TV, the internet…there is no escaping it. anyone can instantly saturate their desires at the touch of a 4-inch screen without hesitation. it is becoming more mainstream to engage in sexual encounters virtually rather than physically, with the body existing as an object of ever more manipulation and excess.

first presented during milan design week 2016, ‘NO SEX’ was also exhibited by patricia findlay at design miami/ 2016.

‘NO SEX’ strips down and exposes our relationship with intercourse through a series of furniture pieces set
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

curated by maria cristina didero, atelier biagetti’s ‘NO SEX’ strips down and exposes our relationship with intercourse through a series of furniture pieces set within a pink-clinic conceived to re-establish the individual’s inner equilibrium with the subject — a transcendental and futuristic paradise of liberty and of clean, free unprejudiced equality. the pink’s role in ‘NO SEX’ refers not only to the color, but the cozy, yet entangling state of mind offering the ultimate wellness clinic in which you pass through the entrance and find yourself in a place designed to detox or retox (whatever the case may be) from overdose or abstinence of sex in contemporary form.

a daybed for a doctor, beautician or masseuse is constructed as a post-ergonomic lounger
image © designboom

exposed to the public during milan design week 2016 and later presented by patricia findlay for design miami/ 2016, the space-age forms of the furniture have been rendered in sensual shades of champagne-pink and natural skin tones, combined with sterile materials that invite one to physically touch the pieces; creating a cast of anthropomorphic beings. a daybed for a doctor, beautician or masseuse is constructed as a post-ergonomic lounger in pale leather and a fine natural rubber mean for laying back and relaxing (designed for one, but wide enough for two).

atelier biagetti NO SEX curator maria cristina didero getting friendly with designer arik levy
image © designboom

a standing lamp with a circular head of LED lights adorned by beak-like details is mounted on a jointed aluminium arm, accompanied by its non identical twin, similar in size and shape, but with a subtle yet essential difference.

a statuesque full length mirror overlooks the pink-clinic
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

a stool and low-backed chair scurry around on ten wheels each, pausing only long enough for their accordion seats to sigh with every backside that rests upon them. these are overlooked by a statuesque full length mirror, with the entire clinic illuminated by a chandelier made of red lights and latex.

the pink refers not only to the color, but also the cozy, entangling state of mind
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

each ‘NO SEX’ object is unique. some of them are one-of-a-kind, while others are limited editions. some are available in open editions, making the protagonists of this project representative of the whole spectrum of italian production. each item has been researched, designed and executed with the utmost attention to detail which is a characteristic trait of biagetti and baldassari, and the italian master craftsmen with whom they choose to work with. like scientists, atelier biagetti genetically modify the DNA of everyday objects, creating associations that provoke a short circuit between the body, the furniture pieces and the home as a potential stage where life is played out.

atelier biagetti interpret and express the reality they perceive into provocative 3D objects
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

space-age forms and sensual tones of natural skin tones are entwined with materials that invite physical touch
image © designboom

‘toy’ side table with pink silicone base and three rotatable tops in polished copper
45 x 45 x H 60 cm / 18 x 18 x H 24 inch
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘soffietta #1’ accordian seat with cushion and backrest upholstered in nude pink leather; supported by a copper-plated brass base and details with polished aluminium legs and transparent plexiglass wheels
60 x 40 x H 100 cm / 24 x 16 x H 40 inch
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘massage’ daybed with a cylindrical base and top cushions upholstered in vanilla leather and wrapped in a single sheet of natural rubber; supported by a base in aluminium with copper-plated brass details
100 x 200 x H 46 cm / 40 x 80 x H 18 inch
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

copper-plated brass and vanilla leather detail
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘soffietta #2’ stool with accordian seat with cushion upholstered in nude pink leather; supported by copper-plated brass base and details with polished aluminium legs and transparent plexiglass wheels
50 x 50 x H 60 cm / 20 x 20 x H 24 inch
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘cocorito’ standing lamp with copper-plated brass base upholstered in natural rubber; with LED lights encased in a plexiglass disk, mounted on a polished aluminium structure, with aluminium and copper-plated brass details
45 x 110 x H max. 196 cm / 18 x 43 x H max. 77 inch
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘dejavu’ wall mirror with red printed letters
60 x H 130 cm / 24 x H 51 inch
image courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘NO SEX’ entrance corridor
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘dr. seletti’ mirror designed by atelier biagetti produced in a special open edition
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

curator maria cristina didero with elena and giulia sella of designbygemini who were part of a one-off performance centred on the theme of the show
image © designboom

the twin doctors of the ‘NO SEX’ clinic: elena and giulia sella of designbygemini
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti

‘NO SEX’ opened milan design week 2016 with a one-off performance featuring 20 nurses
image © designboom

all of the nurses were dressed in identical uniforms, and moved in synchronicity
photo by delfino sisto legnani and marco cappelletti, courtesy of atelier biagetti