Cactus coat rack by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello for Gufram, 1972.

The "Cactus" coat rack was designed by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello for Gufram, an Italian manufacturer in the early 70's. Its design is part of the "Radical Design" movement that began in the 60's in Italy, freeing itself from the rules of modernism by inventing objects or structures without limits or codes. This piece is iconic, it is still produced to this day, the colors and style vary, according to the trends of the moment, with several special editions in collaboration with different artists. Its structure is composed of sculpted polyurethane foam giving it a honeycomb appearance and covered with Guflac paint making the surfaces more uniform and elastic. It is in good condition, some flaws are to be noted, it has several chips on the branches and the paint is peeling in some places. The base also begins to crumble. Guflac paint: this coating with an elastic and ultra-resistant appearance, was patented in 1966 by Piero Gilardi, it comes from a natural base to which the desired shade is added. The recipe is kept secret by Gufram.

Peinture Guflac: ce revêtement d’aspect élastique et ultra résistant, a été breveté en 1966 par Piero Gilardi, il est issu d’une base naturelle à laquelle on rajoute la teinte désirée. Sa recette complète est gardée secrète par Gufram.