Inside the Living Coral Pantone Pantry at Art Basel Miami

The two-day installation was an electric-peach ode to travel—and will be reprised in 2019.

Living Coral Pantone Pantry Art Basel Miami
The Pantone Pantry by Tribute Portfolio at The Royal Palm South Beach Hotel during Art Basel Miami Beach 2018 Courtesy Elizabeth Lippman

When Pantone was scouting the perfect location to announce its 2019 Color of the Year, Living Coral 16-1546, Miami—the Big Orange—was a natural choice. The electric peach tone (which the company describes as “an animating and life-affirming shade of orange with a golden undertone”) is a color that is intrinsic to the culture and aesthetic of Florida.

During Art Basel Miami Beach, a pop-up event at the Royal Palm South Beach offered visitors the chance to step into a Living Coral–saturated shrine to travel. Designed by Pantone Color Institute—the team responsible for selecting the Pantone Color of the Year—in collaboration with Tribute Portfolio Hotels, “Pantone Pantry by Tribute Portfolio” was an immersion into all things Living Coral.

Conceived as a small house on the grounds of the hotel, the Pantry contained suitcases, trunks, and decorative bric-a-brac all decked out in the 2019 hue. Secret compartment–filled drawers lined the walls, opening to reveal books, sunglasses, and accessories, along with information on Tribute Portfolio hotels around the world. A hidden guest room bathed in Living Coral stowed away within the installation, while pop animations by Miami-based illustrator Gabriel Alcala were displayed, set to music by LSD (the supergroup made up of Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo). A bellhop rolling a rack of Living Coral–hued suitcases also made appearances throughout the event. Guests armed with Pantry-supplied brushes and a vat of Living Coral paint, meanwhile, added to Alcala’s illustrations.


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Living Coral Pantone Pantry Art Basel Miami
Courtesy Elizabeth Lippman

“We’re always looking for ways to connect with the design community on the deeper meaning of color and how it can impact our daily lives,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of Pantone Color Institute.

After its two-day run at Art Basel Miami this year, throughout 2019 the Pantry will pop up again at Tribute Hotels in other design-minded communities: the Alida in Savannah, Georgia, and the Slaak Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

“As we plan the next two Pantone Pantry installations,” says Amanda Nichols, global brand director of Tribute Portfolio hotels, “we’ll be looking to create a similar combination of art, culture, community.”

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