Gucci Celebrates Art Basel Miami with Snow Globe Installation and Cowansage Murals

December 7, 2024

Josh Harris, Roger Barnett, Jeffrey Deitch, Hope Atherton, Gavin Brown

Gucci has transformed Sweet Bird North Plaza into an enchanted winter spectacle. The installation, which runs through January 7, reimagines the classic snow globe as a portal into the luxury house's storied past.

Against the vibrant backdrop of Miami's Design District, Gucci's oversized snow globe installation turns nostalgia into spectacle. The piece showcases the house's iconic luggage—from sleek suitcases to monogrammed trunks—arranged among miniature replicas of Gucci's landmark boutiques, including the storied Palazzo della Mercanzia in Florence and the Wooster Street store in New York. The tableau captures both the wanderlust that inspired founder Guccio Gucci during his days as a Savoy Hotel porter and the global luxury empire that grew from those early dreams. *(Photo: Courtesy of Gucci/BFA)*

At its heart lies an origin tale: young Guccio Gucci, a porter at London's Savoy Hotel, observing the elegant luggage of wealthy travelers. That early inspiration materializes in the installation's centerpiece—a collection of the house's signature trunks and cases, each bearing the unmistakable GG monogram, arranged against miniature reproductions of the house's architectural landmarks.

The installation extends beyond mere nostalgia through a collaboration with artist Corydon Cowansage, whose three murals bridge the plaza and boutique. Cowansage's work pulses with organic forms—undulating shapes in vibrant hues that seem to float against pale blue backgrounds. The pieces echo the anatomical abstractions of pioneering artists Judy Chicago and Zilia Sanchez, while establishing their own contemporary resonance.

For the unveiling, the plaza hummed with creative energy as luminaries from fashion, art, and entertainment gathered to experience the installation. DJ Carlita and Tiffy Vera provided the soundscape for an evening that culminated in an intimate dinner at Mother Wolf.

Biomorphic forms dance across the exterior wall of Gucci's Miami Design District boutique in artist Corydon Cowansage's new mural. Against a pale blue backdrop, her undulating shapes—suggestive of floating lips, some smiling, others artfully distorted—create an arresting interplay of depth and movement. The installation, which aligns with Cowansage's showing at Art Basel Miami, reinterprets her signature exploration of organic abstraction in monumental scale.

Under the amber glow of vintage chandeliers at Mother Wolf, Miami's art and fashion elite gathered for an intimate dinner following Gucci's holiday installation unveiling. The restaurant's ornate ceiling details and warm lighting created a cocoon of old-world glamour for the evening's festivities. (Photo: Courtesy of Gucci/BFA)

The installation offers more than visual splendor—it includes thoughtful touches for visitors throughout its run. Local favorite Peel will serve ice cream, while Italian bakery Rosetta provides coffee and pastries during select hours. Weekend activities for children complete the programming, making the space as welcoming to families as to curators.

The celebration extends across the Atlantic, where Palazzo Gucci in Florence glows with holiday illumination—a transcontinental tribute to both the house's origins and its evolution into a global cultural force.

Evening captured by Gucci/BFA: