The Pratt Chairs (1984) consist of a series of nine chairs born from a reflection on the need for structural solidity in an object. Each piece was cast in resin with varying amounts of hardener: some collapse entirely, while others are as rigid as conventional seating. The mold gives each chair a wealth of fascinating, bas-relief–like detail—faces, a crucifix, mountains, playing cards, a torrid sex scene, and even the imprint of Gaetano Pesce’s own hand. The Pratt Chair (1984) stands as a reliquary of the artist’s passions.
Pulp Galerie’s presentation for Design Miami/ Basel was rounded out by the first two Greene Street Chairs ever produced (1987), from a limited edition of fifty, originally unveiled in 1988 at the Vitra headquarters. Finally, a rare Broadway dining Table (1993), published by Bernini, brought this journey through Gaetano Pesce’s work to a fitting close.
Design Miami. Basel, Switzerland
For Design Miami/ Basel, Pulp Galerie presented a monographic exhibition on the work of Gaetano Pesce (1939–2024). A multifaceted artist, Gaetano Pesce constantly reinvented his vocabulary through the use of experimental materials and eccentric forms.
The Time of Memories unfolded like a stroll through an Italianate garden. Gaetano Pesce’s furniture became ancient statues, nestled on boxwood pedestals.
Pulp Galerie’s selection took on a museum-like quality, featuring two works never before seen on the market: the Pratt Chair (1984) and the Sick Cabinet (1995).
The Pratt Chairs (1984) consist of a series of nine chairs born from a reflection on the need for structural solidity in an object. Each piece was cast in resin with varying amounts of hardener: some collapse entirely, while others are as rigid as conventional seating. The mold gives each chair a wealth of fascinating, bas-relief–like detail—faces, a crucifix, mountains, playing cards, a torrid sex scene, and even the imprint of Gaetano Pesce’s own hand. The Pratt Chair (1984) stands as a reliquary of the artist’s passions.
The Sick Cabinet, or Sikh (1995), is particularly striking in scale and presence. Created by Gaetano Pesce specifically for the Time for Questions exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in 1996, this storage piece takes the form of a mummy, wrapped in bandages soaked in resin. The experience is sensorial and uncanny. Opening the cabinet’s door, weighted with a cast iron counterbalance, feels like battling with the mummy itself who is desperately trying to guard its secrets.
Pulp Galerie’s presentation for Design Miami/ Basel was rounded out by the first two Greene Street Chairs ever produced (1987), from a limited edition of fifty, originally unveiled in 1988 at the Vitra headquarters. Finally, a rare Broadway dining Table (1993), published by Bernini, brought this journey through Gaetano Pesce’s work to a fitting close.