Coat rack by Ugo Nespolo, Italy 1980s

Postmodern, amusing, and colourful freestanding coat rack "Albero dei cappelli" by Ugo Nespolo for Origlia Italy Pragma (marked) from the 1980s. White lacquered wooden structure on a dark cast iron base, with ten multicoloured hooks shaped like hats. Heavy cast iron base. Ugo Nespolo is an Italian designer, painter, and sculptor, particularly known for his experimental films, applied arts, and artistic collaborations in advertising, theatre, and literature. His career as an artist began in the 1960s, and his work was influenced by Pop Art, which was becoming popular in Italy at that time. He encountered and appreciated these movements during his frequent travels to the United States, where he spent long periods, especially in the 1980s. Since then, irony and transgression have been part of his art and characterise Nespolo's work in the years to come. Despite American influences, he does not forget the impact of European avant-gardes. He is also interested in design, and his research pays particular attention to materials: wood, metals, glass, ceramics, and precious stones. His art is therefore closely linked to everyday life and rich in conceptual contributions: "one cannot make art without thinking about art." In 2016, he signed the Art Manifesto, an international artistic movement that promotes many notable initiatives such as the Corporate Art Awards.