Ralph Pucci exhibition at Chateau La Coste strips furniture down to its "purest state"

All-white furnishings feature in this exhibition by US gallery Ralph Pucci, which is showcased within an Oscar Niemeyer-designed pavilion at French art destination Chateau La Coste.

The Pure exhibition brings together lighting, seating and tables from 13 artists and designers who have collaborated with Ralph Pucci throughout its 70-year history, as well as items from the studio's in-house collection.

All of the pieces feature minimal adornment and have been uniformly rendered in white, encouraging visitors to focus on their form.

"Stripping the pieces down to their purest state means everything works together," gallerist Ralph Pucci told Dezeen. "It becomes about shape and volume – there's no conflict."

The pale furnishings also sit in harmony with the curved white walls and expansive glazing of architect Niemeyer's pavilion, which opened on Chateau La Coste's grounds in 2022.

"I had a clear idea how I wanted [the space] to look, it had to be clean, modern – no tricks," said Pucci. "The second I walked into this building, I knew this is what I envisioned."

"I'll be honest, it turned out even better because I underestimated the power of the light."

Every item in the exhibition has been hand-carved from Plasterglass, a hybrid material specially developed by the studio to offer the tactility of plaster with the additional strength of glass.

Some pieces, such as designer Patrick Naggar's sinuous Amalfi chair and artist Eric Schmitt's bulbous Out Score table, are ultra-smooth in texture.

Others, like the spikey Leon lamp by artist Elizabeth Garouste, the Arboretum floor light by designer Lee F Mindel, and Pucci's own-designed face-shaped Visage sculpture, have a rougher finish that displays the touch of the artist and how they’ve shaped the piece.

Showcasing craftsmanship and making processes have always been important to Pucci, whose New York office includes an open studio space where artists are invited to develop furniture pieces.

"It's so important for clients to see what we're doing because everyone's very busy – nobody takes the time to really think about how a piece of furniture, sculpture, or lighting is made," he explained.

For this same reason, the design house decided to dedicate one wall of the exhibition to photos that show the pieces at different stages of fabrication.

Another part of the room has also been set up as a studio – complete with sketches, tools, and messy workbenches – where Pucci's master sculptor, Michael Evert, will carry out live model-making sessions to give further insight into how the furnishings in Pure were realised.

Accompanying the exhibition is a jazzy soundtrack with songs by Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and other stars of the 1950s.

"This is what we play pretty much 24/7 in our New York, Los Angeles, Miami galleries, so I wanted to bring a soundtrack that was authentic to us," added Pucci.

Ralph Pucci started life as a mannequin repair company, founded by Pucci's parents in 1954. Pucci became involved in the 1970s and went on to reimagine the standard mannequin form by teaming up with leading artists.

The studio's involvement with furniture began in the 80s and has continued ever since.

Its exhibition will run at Chateau La Coste until September. Since its establishment in 2011, the 500-acre wine estate near Aix-en-Provence has come to be home to an array of artworks and architectural installations from names such as Richard Rogers, Damien Hirst, Renzo Piano, and Louise Bourgeois.

Pure joins a growing number of design-focused shows being held at the site; recent examples include 2023's Pierre Paulin Program: Des idées courbes, Des formes libres, which presented the French designer's most iconic furniture creations.

The photography is by Antoine Bootz. 

Pure is on show at Chateau La Coste until 21 September 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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