Nerocactus

Nerocactus is the black Cactus coat rack released by Gufram in 2010 in an edition of 500. It preserves Guido Drocco and Franco Mello’s original 1972 form while changing its appearance through an almost entirely black silhouette.

Form, material and concept

Colour emphasises the trunk and branches while light reveals the textured finish. As with other Cactus versions, its spiky appearance contrasts with a flexible polyurethane core. Guflac® is applied by hand. It functions as a coat rack but has sufficient presence to stand alone as a domestic sculpture.

Edition details

Design: Guido Drocco & Franco Mello
Brand: Gufram, Italy
Original Cactus design: 1972
Year of this edition: 2010
Colour: Black
Dimensions: 70 × 70 × 170 cm
Material: flexible polyurethane hand-finished with Guflac®
Weight: approximately 28 kg
Edition: 500 examples

Cactus’s recognisable texture consists of 2165 raised nodes. The four branches and surface are hand-finished with Guflac®: the object combines a coat rack’s function with sculptural expression. Interior photographs show its scale and relationship with furniture and light.

Collecting and interior display

Black Nerocactus can contrast with a light room or complement a dark interior where texture and reflections matter. The edition name, original designers and edition size are relevant to collectors. “500 examples” describes the whole release rather than an individual object’s number. It is a thoughtful gift for someone collecting significant Italian design objects.

Learn about Gufram and its radical design, compare Boring Cactus or explore the brand’s history on Gufram’s official website.