A Public Display of Affection, 2024

A Public Display of Affection is the beautiful title given by Rawad Baaklini to the Curated Section of the Collectible Fair 2024 in Bruxelles. VOTO XO created the scenography envisioning proud, lustrous banners adorned with symbols of love and affection suspended in space. These cascading flags gracefully unveil the essence of the selected designed objects, they mirror the ethereal nature of emotions that float around our heads and in our hearts. They can be considered as delicate armors of fine silk.

Upon closer inspection, within the intimacy of the scene, one can discern intricately embroidered secrets, clandestine messages, and heartfelt scribbles. We delved deep into the realm of adolescent symbolism, drawn from the pages of their cherished diaries and etched onto the corner of a school desk, or on the trunk of a tree, fervently reaching for love’s embrace.

Made with Madeleine Larcade & Rémi Marilleau in Marseille, France
Images © Collectible

“Perhaps another means of expression is one that bridges emotion with creativity; making rather than saying, objects rather than words. Design as a visual and physical language can constitute an affirmation of love. [...] Do we design with the intricate proportions of our lover’s body in mind ? Do we search for the perfect hue of light which tells a thousand stories, or fabricate tools to mend a broken heart ?”

Extract from the exhibition text by curator Rawad Baaklini, March 2024.