PAD Paris Design 2026: Jardin des Tuileries, 75001 Paris
On the occasion of PAD Paris 2026, Gallery Gaïa & Romeo presents a rare selection of 27 Italian ceramic works dating from the 1950s to the 1970s, a period widely regarded as the golden age of the medium.
The presentation is shaped by a scenography conceived by the gallery as an integral part of the experience. Designed as a narrative framework, it invites a renewed reading of the works while bringing their striking contemporary relevance into focus. Through an immersive digital approach, each piece is given space to unfold - revealing its presence, its rhythm, and its dialogue with the viewer, in a way that reflects the gallery’s vision.
The selection is structured around several key highlights:
- Monumental Works
A number of large-scale pieces assert ceramics as a fully sculptural language. Expansive volumes, architectural presence, and richly layered glazes reflect the remarkable level of formal ambition achieved by Italian ceramists in the post-war period. Two major works by Salvatore Meli - a 1.30 × 1.30 m wall panel and a sculpture exceeding one meter in width - alongside a monumental piece by Marcello Fantoni, originally conceived for the garden of his private residence, exemplify this pursuit of scale and presence.
- Wall Works
Three significant wall-mounted works form a central focus of the presentation, including a large-scale piece by Carlo Zauli, informed by a cubist vocabulary and measuring over 1.20 m, as well as two exceptional plates by Guido Gambone and Nino Caruso. Conceived in direct dialogue with space, these works expand the language of ceramics, blurring the boundaries between fine art, decoration, and sculpture.
- Rare and Iconic Pieces
The selection brings together rare works that reflect the formal, chromatic, and technical explorations of the leading artists of the period. Entirely shaped by hand, these unique pieces embody the bold modernist spirit and the extraordinary creative vitality of the Italian scene from the 1950s to the 1970s.
