Each year, Design Miami has notable debuts, but the 2024 edition had quite the milestone: Ralph Pucci presented its much-acclaimed first in-house collection in more than 10 years. Titled “Primal Mysteries,” the collection pays homage to titans of the design world, like Giacometti, Brancusi, and Miro. It focuses primarily on lighting and tables, with handwork in clay and plaster, to casting and hand-finishing. There were also two major new pieces presented at the exhibition: the Giant Mask and Primal Chandelier.
A packed showroom full of art and design fans got a first look of the pieces during the opening reception co-hosted by PALMER’s Stefano Tonchi. Ann, Ralph and Michael Pucci mingled with artists Marjorie Salvaterra and Lianne Gold and guests including Victoria Hagan and Michael Berman, Nicole Fuller, Robert Rionda, Francis Nicdao and Melanie Stark, Jay Britto, Allison Palladino, Zita Rudd, Brett & Giselle Sugarman, Deborah Wecselman, Haeshin Lee, Alfie Fernandez, Amy Rossi, Eric Viner, Elyze Held, and George Ledes.
Also on display was the work of photographer Marjorie Salvaterra titled “Sheila in Technicolor,” and new works by the architect and designer Patrick Naggar.
“Sheila in Technicolor” is an homage to Salvaterra’s mother, and an extension on her “Sheila” series, which deals with her mother and grandmother’s generations and the idea that women were taught to keep everything inside. “[It is] my mother in my ear saying, with each black and white series, ‘don’t you want to add a little color?’” Explains Salvaterra: “A version of ‘don’t you want a little lipstick?’ ‘Is that what you’re wearing?’ It’s the acceptance of how my mother and grandmother were raised and instead of fighting it, accepting the colorful life I have had and believing it came from caring and wanting everything to be OK for us.”
The works will be on view until the spring. Click through the slideshow below to see photos from the opening reception.
