Jean Prouvé – DesignApplause

vitra design museum presents the politics of design conference. milan design week 2019.

Apr 10, 2019

design and vitra are practically synonymous. the family-owned swiss company is trusted with manufacturing the works of some of the world’s most respected and renowned designers. think eames, vernor panton, and jean prouvé —these are just some of the iconic names that have entrusted them to manufacture their pieces.

this year, vitra design museum is leading the charge in moving the conversation around design forward through a conference called the politics of design. the day-long affair will address design as a political activity with the idea that designers are constantly making decisions regarding social issues such as inclusion, identity, and sustainability. the aim of the conference is to explore the big question that surrounds this line of thinking: “while design is a powerful took for social and political change does it really have an effect on things?”

taking place on april 10 from 1:45 to 6:30, the day will be broken into three parts with top players in the fields of design, philosophy, sociology, and politics speaking on panels. confirmed speakers include paola antonelli, bruce sterling, danah abdulla, jan boelen, claudia chwalisz, indy johar, amelie klein, and etienne turpin.

the politics of design is presented by the vitra design museum and will take place april 10 at trienalle milano, teatro dell’arte.

experts top 10 picks at design miami/ 2015.

Dec 4, 2015

1/
cangaço/
the campana brothers, 2015/
firma casa/ sao paulo

“the campana brothers’ cangaço chair offers a vibrant mix of materiality, color and pattern that feels effortless and natural. this piece would make any good interior great.”

– martin brudnizki (martin brudnizki design studio)

2/
cavallina argento/
alberto biagetti, laura baldassari, 2015/
secondome/ rome

“i am incredibly fascinated by cavallina argento by alberto biagetti and laura baldassari, how it takes a generic object outside the world of high design and transforms it into the sublime. the delicate and precious palette of materials is beautifully composed to evoke sensuality and desire.”

– chad oppenheim (oppenheim)

3/
happiness/
wendell castle, 2015/
friedman benda/ new york

“his work always makes me smile with its humanity. he has the courage to reconsider what he has done in the past and explore new directions.”

– tom kundig (olson kundig)

4/
design miami 2015/
pavillion/
in collaboration with the harvard university graduate school of design

“although it looks as if i will be needing a cherry picker to get really close, i am looking forward to seeing the gsd pavilion, with its forest of pink representations of designs for pavilions designed by students faculty and alumni. under mohsen mostafavi’s leadership – who previously made his mark at the architectural association in london, and then at cornell, harvard has been making waves again.”

– deyan sudjic (design museum)

5/
off-railing series/
arandalasch 2015/
gallery all/ beijing & los angeles

“i love the idea of an infinite line that can be used to define furniture and architecture and thus reduce the late 20th century barrier between these two disciplines. also this pieces speaks as much about the new york subway as the los angeles freeway network.”

– elliott barnes (elliott barnes interiors)

6/
zig-zag chair/
gerrit th. rietveld, 1934/
galerie vivid/ rotterdam

“as a designer, i’ve always been fascinated by things that were built with a cantilever effect. i admire this chair because it broke the paradigm for conventional furniture.”

– george yabu (yabupushelberg)

7/
pouf vague, wave bench/
maria pergay, 1968/
demisch danant/ new york

“this bench by one of my favorite designers of all time, maria pergay, is graceful, elegant and chic and in 1968, when it was made, most likely a revelation for her use of materials and the fact that it was designed by a woman. a very chic woman at that!”

– robert stilin (interior designer)

8/
wall light #7417/
serge mouille, ca. 1960/
1950 gallery/ new york

“this classic piece is as much a work of art as it is functional. i have used it in my home and many projects as it is iconic, faultless and its timeless beauty will never tire for me.”

– kelly hoppen (interior designer)

9/
4×4 demountable house/
jean prouvé, 1935/
galerie patrick seguin/ paris

“prouvé is always an inspiration in how the functional, in this case a prefab military shelter, can still have elements of beauty and proportion. the general concept of well proportioned prefab modularity by modernist masters like prouve influenced our neuehouse studio design”.

– david rockwell (architect)

10/
long chair/
george nakashima, 1952/
moderne gallery/ philadelphia

“i love the interesting balance and clear comfort of this piece. it is such a clever design – both tough and organic, disproportionate, yet softened beautifully by the welcoming webbing, and the warmth of the cherrywood. excellent design which stands the test of time.”

– rose uniacke

[ design miami/ ]

design miami/ 2015 celebrates the diversity of design.

Oct 21, 2015

As the market for collectible design continues to evolve and mature with each edition, Design Miami/ celebrates the full diversity of its field. With the 11th edition of Design Miami/ this December, the fair offers extraordinary works from galleries based on five continents that specialize in everything from classic early twentieth century design to the conceptual cutting edge. Work ranging from full-sized architectural elements to the most delicate jewelry, by designers from as far afield as the Philippines and Japan, South Africa and Brazil, will be on show under one roof at the global forum for design.

There’s a story behind every piece of great design/.

[ latin spirit/ ]

cangaço – bookstand/ fernando and humberto campana, 2015/ courtesy of campana studio and fernando laszlo/

Firma Casa, the first participating gallery from Brazil (São Paulo), offering a program that is notably strong in design from Latin America. The distinctive and innovative work of the Campana Brothers – Design Miami/ Designers of the Year in 2008 – are represented at both Firma Casa and Friedman Benda. A rare jacaranda wood bench by Modernist pioneer Joaquim Tenreiro is showing at R & Company. Cristina Grajales Gallery exhibits a spectacular coffee table by Gloria Cortina topped with golden obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. ADN Galeria of Mexico participates in the Design Curio program with a project by the Mexico-based sculptor and furniture designer Eduardo Olbés.

[ design reborn/ ]

pair of lamps from villa arreaza, caracas/ gio ponti, 1954/ courtesy of casati gallery/

The scholarship, research and the preservation of historic works that are so important to the world of collectible design are aspects that are perhaps less visible to visitors to Design Miami/. A number of exhibitions at this year’s fair will put the spotlight on projects honoring design history. Galleria Rossella Colombari will recreate an interior in the style of Villa Planchart in Caracas designed by Giò Ponti, using colors and materials dear to the architect. Another apartment – this one from Milan, designed by Ponti’s protegé architect Attilio Colonello – will be recreated from historic drawings and photographs by Casati Gallery, in a scenography that will include a number of pieces from the original scheme.

[ personal connections/ ]

dining table for madeleine and jean prouvé/ pierre jeanneret, 1943/ marie clérin for laffanour – galerie downtown/

There’s a story behind every piece of great design, often one that reflects personal relationships, whether between a group of like-minded creative souls, friends and mentors, hard working duos, romantic partners, or siblings. One compelling personal connection central to the history of modern design is evoked in a piece presented this year by LAFFANOUR – Galerie Downtown: a table given to Jean Prouvé by Pierre Jeanneret in 1943, and which remained in use by Prouvé’s family at his house in Nancy, France. Family relationships are evoked in pieces by Xander Kriel, who created his Vos Altar in memory of his grandfather for Southern Guild, and by Wharton Esherick, who’s graceful sculptural form The Actress (1938/9), presented by Moderne Gallery, was inspired by his daughter Mary. Thomas Fritsch will present works by Verá Szekely, co-founder, with André Borderie and her husband Pierre Szekeley, of Borderie Szekeley, a trio that created work together until 1957.

[ monumental design/ ]

enignum xvi/ joseph walsh, 2015/ courtesy of the designer and sarah myerscough gallery/ photographer: andrew bradley

Large-scale design and architectural components continue to be a keenly anticipated highlight of the Design Miami/ program. Galerie Patrick Seguin will once again be sharing a work of pioneering mid-century modular architecture, in this case the only remaining example of Jean Prouvé’s 1939 baraque de campagne, a rapidly assembled 4 x 4m military hut. At Galerie Philippe Gravier, Kengo Kuma will present a small nomadic tearoom constructed from simple lightweight plastic materials and inspired by the humble, reclusive dwelling of the writer Kamo no Chōmei. Substantial works in wood by Wendell Castle will be on show at Friedman Benda, R & Company and Carpenters Workshop Gallery, in celebration of the American art-furniture pioneer’s equally monumental career. At Sarah Myerscough Gallery, a new generation of designers creating large, finely-crafted works in wood will be represented by Joseph Walsh. From a lighter perspective, first time gallery Orley Shabahang presents the durable, finely crafted silk rugs created by Haji Jalili in the late 19th century represent a highly portable form of monumental design. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the continuation of Naihan Li’s I Am A Monument series at Beijing-based Gallery ALL, which shrinks monumental architectural structures into playful functional pieces for the home.

[ simulacra/ ]

cardboard crown necklace/ david bielander, 2015/ courtesy of dirk eisel/

Playful and sometimes pointed references to familiar everyday objects infuse certain exhibitions at Design Miami/ with visual wit. Juxtaposing precious materials and functionality, Siegfried De Buck’s silver Praline Box (1993) is the ultimate vessel for Belgium’s prized chocolate confections, showing at Caroline Van Hoek. Fellow gold and silversmith David Bielander’s thin metal jewelry pieces at Ornamentum reference the simple cardboard crowns of childhood role-play. Another familiar childhood form – in this case a paper airplane – receives a nod in Karen Chekerdjian’s IQAR table for Carwan Gallery. Eric Serritella’s series of ceramic vessels crafted to resemble sections of weathered wood will receive its most ambitious addition yet in a new, larger, work inspired by the branches and bark of a birch tree can be viewed at Jason Jacques Inc. Wolfs + Jung’s ongoing Nature V2.01 explores the disconcerting contrast of apparently natural surfaces and manmade forms: ammann// gallery will be showing new works from the series including a teetering stool balancing on sticks cast in bronze and a rounded bronze vessel apparently clad in bark.

[ earthly matter/ ]

bodypart iii/ kristina riska, 2015/ courtesy of hostler burrows/

Echoing the burgeoning interest in clay as a sculptural medium over recent years, decorative ceramics remain a strong area of creative innovation at Design Miami/. The Finnish ceramicist Kristina Riska will show Bodypart III, a sculptural vessel of vast proportions and organic curvature at Hostler Burrows. Lee Hun Chung contrasts the glassy finish of ceramic glaze with the rough, stone-like surface of concrete in a low table at Seomi International. Patrick Parrish Gallery will show the first ceramic works of painter Guy Correiro.

[ sacred geometry/ ]

zig-zag chair/ gerrit thomas rietveld, 1934/ courtesy of galerie vivid

Geometric shapes occur both by natural and man-made design, the former often inspiring the latter. Ralph Bakker’s jewelry designs, coming to the fair with Antonella Villanova, are based on naturally occurring geometric patterns found in nature. Galerie VIVID presents geometry that changed the face of design in post World War I Europe in the form of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld’s Zig-Zag Chair. Brian Thoreen’s work, appearing at Patrick Parrish Gallery, demonstrates his passion for geometric forms that evolve from nature.

[ transparent and luminescent/ ]

light pods/ terrence main, 2015/ courtesy of magen h/

The technical challenges and diverse effects afforded by glass continue to inspire forms both ethereal and unexpected. At Galerie kreo Julie Richoz shows new works created with glass blowers at Marseilles’s legendary CIRVA (Centre International de Recherce sur le Verre et les Arts plastique). Kyoto-born designer Ritsue Mishima – represented by Pierre Marie Giraud – moved to Venice in 1989 to work alongside the city’s fabled glassblowers, deviating from Venetian tradition to create un-pigmented works. Commonplace Studio’s Lumière series marries blown glass to contemporary technology, illuminating each globe with projections of moving images in a ghostly tribute to the early days of cinema at Victor Hunt Designart Dealer. Terence Main’s branchlike Light Pods set budlike glass elements at the tips of cast aluminum twigs to create a ‘growing’ chandelier at Magen H. Gallery.

[ hard steel, soft leather/ ]

wave bench/ maria pergay, 1968/ courtesy of demisch danant/

The contrast of cold, hard metal with hide is one addressed in a multiplicity of ways at Design Miami/. The unyielding, cool lines of Maria Pergay’s stainless steel furnishings find soft contrast in their leather and hide upholstery. Alberto Biagetti and Laura Baldassari make a more playful juxtaposition in the Body Building collection at Secondome, an ‘anti gym’ that takes formal inspiration from metal workout equipment, undercutting the hard edge with soft pink upholstery. Nanda Vigo’s fur is of the faux variety: at Erastudio Apartment-Gallery synthetic leopard skin covers her hybrid brass forms from 1971 that perform both as coat racks and lighting elements. The classic combination of hard steel face and soft leather straps appears in a number of the vintage watches with extraordinary provenance at the fair’s first watch gallery Le Collection’Heure.

[ Design Miami/ ] is the global forum for design. Each fair brings together the most influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics from around the world in celebration of design culture and commerce. Occurring alongside the Art Basel fairs in Miami, USA each December and Basel, Switzerland each June, Design Miami/ has become the premier venue for collecting, exhibiting, discussing and creating collectible design.

jean prouvé’s demountable house to be shown in china for the first time. design shanghai 2015.

Feb 17, 2015

design shanghai 2015 | 27 > 30 march 2015 | shanghai exhibition centre

the second edition of design shanghai, will take place march 2015 and will include over 300 exhibitors across three halls; contemporary design, classic design, and collectible design. featured among the confirmed installations is jean prouvé’s demountable house, a rare early example of prefabricated housing.

french architect jean prouvé is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s most influential designers, and is known for combining bold elegance with economy of means in a socially conscious manner. he is also recognized for his manufacturing firm, les ateliers jean prouvé, where he designed and produced lightweight metal furniture in collaboration with some of the most well known designers of the time. one such designer was pierre jeanneret, a swiss architect and furniture designer who often worked with his more famous cousin, le corbusier.

demountable house designed in 1944 was originally created as an emergency shelter for the displaced inhabitants of the lorraine region of france during wwii. when swiss luxury brand bally acquired this rare work, it was very damaged and in need of repair. now, the house has been restored to its pristine condition by a 12-person team, just in time to celebrate its 70th anniversary this year.

prouvé believed his manufactured home could serve as a model for future design in prefabrication and stated,“there is a need for manufactured homes. (…) prefabricated  houses, they are the new dadaism. but why factory made?  because it is no longer about just about making one or more  small elements of a home to be assembled, but making all the  elements correspond to those of a machine that is mounted entirely mechanically, without necessity of producing anything on-site. (…) we must show the public that the manufactured home is a comfortable home, and overcome routine.”

prouve house with easy armchair chair by jeanneret. image courtesy of forward

showcased alongside an original furniture collection by pierre jeanneret, the two works taken together represent bally’s commitment to art and design as well as the brand’s early modernist roots. the iconic house has recently been part of a travelling exhibition and will be delivered as a kit of parts for the first time in asia and assembled on site by a team of french experts. two metal gantries support three sections of the roof beam, which in turn support the mountings for the wall and roof panels. treated spruce panels nailed to a metal frame form the structure of the walls, while wooden window frames and a corrugated iron roof complete the building’s exterior shell.

[ prologue by swarovski and fredrikson stallard ]

‘prologue’, the latest collaborative work between swarovski london-based designers fredrikson stallard, is to make its debut at design shanghai.

originally shown in raw steel and gold crystal at art basel 2014 (hong kong and basel), ‘prologue’ is a monumental circular sculpture measuring 4m in diameter and holding over 8,000 swarovski crystal droplets within a patinated steel frame. for design shanghai, the designers will recreate the work in galvanized steel and pale blue crystal to symbolize water, our most precious and fundamental resource, to mark the 15th anniversary of the swarovski waterschool program.

‘prologue’ will be placed at the entrance to design shanghai, its luminous ring acting as a bright blue beacon to visitors, welcoming them and drawing them into the grand entrance of the iconic shanghai exhibition centre. the work, which plays with light by transforming and transmuting its environment throughout the day, will be available for private purchase in a limited edition of eight sculptures. swarovski will exhibit in contemporary design hall, e-98 and e-100 [ fredrikson & stallard ] [ swarovski ]

[ dragon chronophage by john c taylor ]
british inventor responsible for the thermostat found in today’s electric kettles, dr john c taylor obe will be exhibiting one of the most innovative clocks, the dragon chronophage, at the collectible design hall at design shanghai 2015.

the 450kg dragon chronophage – which translates from latin as ‘time eater’ – is made of gold-plated stainless steel, formed using a special underwater explosion technique. through the use of concentric circles on the face, the seconds, minutes and hours are shown in a way that’s never been seen before.

created by dr taylor in tandem with professor long of the hangzhou art university, the chronophage is a physical interpretation of einstein’s idea of relative time: each minute may go quickly or slowly – even stopping altogether – but every five minutes the clock catches up with ‘real’ time.

every hour the specially designed mechanical dragon escapement on the dragon chronophage reveals and swallows a pearl, a chinese symbol of good luck.

[ house of light by elle decoration china ]
house of light has two spaces. one is the light show, which is the combination of multi-media projection, music and light design, while the other space is to show around 10 lighting designs by local designers who were discovered by elle decoration in china over the years.

let´s go on a journey of light from the oldest memories of the universe, from distant galaxies, bridging thousands of lightyears to the image of the sun in a single drop of water; from streams of electricity to the tiny electrons operating the internet – our world is vibrating with flows of immaterial energy.

our work “spark” explores this illuminant state of culture examining light, the ambivalent promethean medium: a symbol of innovation and change aswell as the archetype for safety and warmth. let us follow it’s mysterious duality between creation and destruction, comfort and threat, waves and particles – let us illuminate our world with the spark.
[ elle decoration china ]

[ design shaghai 2015 ] is regarded as best design event in asia.

important design auction. wright.

Dec 11, 2014

nuage bibliothèque | charlotte perriand | ateliers jean prouvé for galerie steph simon | c. 1956

this is a great offering. important design is among wright’s most exclusive auctions of the year. the most celebrated designers of the 20th century are represented in this auction, including paul evans, charlotte perriand, ron arad, harry bertoia, george nakashima, pierre jeanneret, max ingrand and gio ponti.

highlights of the sale include a selection of designs by frank lloyd wright, such as a pair of lounge chairs from the clarence sondern house in kansas city, and a desk from the impertial hotel, tokyo. also outstanding in important design is a mesa coffee table designed by t.h. robsjohn-gibbings, a pair of prefacto chairs by pierre guariche, an iconic wonderlamp by verner panton, and a studio-made general motors firebird iii model designed by the legendary harley j. earl.

big easy volume 2 for 2 | ron arad | ron arad associates | 1989

welded front cabinets, pair | paul evans | paul evans studio | 1969

chandelier, model 1441 | max ingrand | fontana arte | c. 1954

grande compass table from the electricité de france, marcoule | jean prouvé | ateliers jean prouvé | c. 1954

nocturne radio, model 1186 | walter dorwin teague | sparton corporation | 1936

[ important design design ] includes many works of exceptional design. each item will be featured in our award-winning, full-color auction catalog as well as presented in our online preview at [ view lots ] | 1440 west hubbard street chicago | 312 563 0020 [ auction / chicago ]

auction > 11 december 2014 | 12 noon cst

design miami 2014 preview #2.

Nov 27, 2014

[ perrier-jouët ] exclusive champagne sponsor of design miami/, continues bringing to life its art nouveau heritage with its new design partnership with the vienna based duo mischer’traxler. the project, perrier-jouët presents small discoveries by mischer’traxler, will be revealed at design miami/ 2 – 6 december 2014 with ephemerā, mischer’traxler’s master work of small discoveries, marking the starting point of a year-long artistic residency.

studio job | chartres | carpenters workshop gallery< |2009 -2012 | limited edition of 5 + 2 ap

[ carpenters workshop gallery ] presents studio job revisiting the world’s most beautiful monuments. the tour begins with big ben aftermath- a functional sculpture incorporating mechanical clockwork. we are then transported to historical france with inspiration from the famous chartres cathedral, then a quick stop to paris with eiffel tower lamp, which although made of hand-painted bronze appears to bend like rubber. finally, the journey becomes more far-flung and takes us to india with taj mahal table.

franz west| divan | unique | carpenters workshop gallery< | 2003

additionally, the gallery will show furniture pieces by franz west.

trapèze table | jean prouvé | laffanour – galerie downtown | 1954

[ laffanour – galerie downtown ] / paris presents an exceptional lineup of rare work by french masters. the highlights include pieces by jean prouvé, charlotte perriand, serge mouille, and jean royère. the gallery’s display is reflective of its commitment to promoting architects’ furniture designs and its vision rooted in the rapprochement between different art forms and shared by artists and designers of the 1950s.

bibliothèque bookcase | charlotte perriand | laffanour – galerie downtown | 1957

catch ceiling lamp – 10 glasses | lindsey adelman | customizable | nilufar gallery

[ nilufar gallery ] is pleased to invite you at the 10th edition of design miami to discover its selection of important pieces by lindsey adelman, fulvio bianconi for venini, lina bo bardi and carlo pagani, maas-fjetterstrom and barbro nilsson, martino gamper, nicholas hughes, vibeke klint, massimiliano locatelli, xavier lust, gio ponti, roberto giulio rida, sergio rodrigues, paavo tynell, nanda vigo.

bisazza wears emilio pucci

luxury italian mosaic company bisazza and legendary fashion house emilio pucci will showcase for the first time in north america bisazza wears emilio pucci, a new collection of bisazza mosaics inspired by historic emilio pucci prints, including new never-before-seen designs, into large-scale bisazza mosaics. the collection will be on view in miami at the bisazza (3740 ne 2nd avenue), and emilio pucci (155 ne 40th street) showrooms, both located in the design district.

[ welcome to the future ] an installation by new york-based artist daniel arsham explores this interplay between technology and the passing of time. he’s created a fictional archaeological site filled with 20th-century media devices—nintendo controllers, boom boxes, electric guitars, slr cameras, blackberry phones, vhs tapes, walkman players, film projectors, portable televisions, radios—all rendered in ancient geological materials, like volcanic ash, crystal, and obsidian. to create the site, arsham dug an excavation trench 25 feet in diameter into the concrete floor of the gallery and filled it with his new-old sculptures. [ kickstarter ]

>locust projects | 3852 north miami avenue miami design district

[ 2014 exhibitors ]
ammann gallery – cologne
antonella villanova – florence
caroline van hoek – brussels
carpenters workshop gallery – london & paris
carwan gallery – beirut
casati gallery -chicago
cristina grajales gallery – new york
demisch danant – new york
edward cella art + architecture – los angeles
erastudio & apartment-gallery – milan
galerie jacques lacoste – paris
galerie kreo – paris
galerie maria wettergren – paris
galerie pascal cuisinier – paris
galerie patrick seguin – paris
galerie vivid – rotterdam
galleria o. – rome
gallery diet – miami
gallery seomi – seoul & los angeles
hostler burrows – new york
jason jacques inc. – new york johnson trading gallery – new york
jousse entreprise – paris
laffanour – galerie downtown – paris
louisa guinness gallery – london
magen h gallery – new york
moderne gallery – philadelphia
nilufar gallery – milan
ornamentum – hudson
pierre marie giraud – brussels
priveekollektie contemporary art + design – heusden aan de maas
r & company – new york
southern guild – cape town
victor hunt design art dealer – brussels
volume gallery – chicago

[ special exhibitions ]
of the 35 galleries at design miami/ 2014 11 are among those that participated in the first year of the fair in 2005. several of these founding galleries present special exhibitions that celebrate the growth of the collectible design market over the past decade. these include a display dedicated to public commissions in france from the 1960s and 70s from demisch danant; an exhibition on the functional, durable furniture created for universities by charlotte perriand, jean prouvé and le corbusier from galerie patrick seguin; a monograph on rick kauffman’s new york art et industrie gallery and the creative crossover surrounding it from magen h gallery, and newly commissioned works debuting at the fair with cristina grajales gallery, galerie kreo, r & company and nilufar.

[ special commissions ]
design miami/ 2014 features a significant number of special commissions, including works in glass, stone and acrylic. ammann//gallery presents the sakala vase by satyendra pakhalé, his first work in blown murano glass; galerie vivid presents commissioned works by finnish-born designer janne kyttanen, which take the designer’s 3d printed aluminum sedona bench as their point of departure; max lamb creates a granite lamp for johnson trading gallery made over six days using stitch drilling, and jeweler ted noten unveils a table – his first foray into furniture – at ornamentum.

[ a bronze age ]
it may have associations with the earliest days of human craft, but bronze is very much the material of the moment at design miami/. from artist jewelry to monumental decorative works, via furniture and lighting, the cast metal is deployed across multiple formats at this year’s fair. casati gallery introduces the work of chicago-based designer steven haulenbeek with a collection of bronze mirrors, furniture, lights and objects all distinguished by the ‘chaotic texture’ produced by casting in ice. carwan gallery debuts furniture pieces combining bronze, onyx, mother of pearl, resins, fine inlaid wood and silver-plated brass by italian architect vincenzo de cotiis. carpenters workshop gallery shows a new collection of iconoclastic architectural-themed bronzes from studio job; and new furniture pieces and jewelry by claude lalanne are exhibited by louisa guinness gallery.

[ cabinets of curiosity ]
spanning the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, design curio/ presents four immersive environments of objects, textures, artifacts and ideas that truly challenge and contextualize familiar design narratives. this first edition, in celebration of the fair’s 10th anniversary, emphasizes surprising installations of scientific research alongside handcraft and creative production. these include oceanic art and design endeavor coral morphologic’s blue room, offering a coral-eye view of miami’s aquatic waterscapes; beijing’s gallery all presenting naihan li’s latest installation from her i am a monument series, recreating beijing’s cityscape to a scale of 1:100 with billowing smog rising amongst buildings reimagined as furniture pieces. koenig & clinton and joe sheftel gallery partner to present a collection of sottsass objects interacting with works by the memphis group in a jewel-box space; patrick parrish gallery invites visitors to experience the vertiginous grid-based exhibition: surfaces on which your setting and sitting will be uncertain, displaying a group of sculptural furniture objects by ro/lu with matching clothing designs by various projects.

event> design miami/ 2014 @designmiami #designmiami
dates> 3 – 7 december 2014
venue> meridian & 19th street miami beach, usa
december 3-4/ 10am-8pm
december 5/ 11am-8pm
december 6/ 12-8pm
december 7/ 12-6pm

design miami 2014. preview.

Nov 17, 2014

above> peter marino: design miami/ 2014 design visionary award winner

above> zaha hadid’s site-specific installation at design.05 miami / recent photo of the moore building

ten years ago, a small fair for collectible design named design.05 miami launched concurrently with art basel miami beach. located in the moore building in the miami design district, it offered a selection of fifteen invited exhibitors, with the stated aim of bringing museum-quality galleries together with the best collectors, connoisseurs, and designers from around the world in one of the premier destinations for art and design.

fast forward 10 years. rodman primack, executive director of design miami/ stated, “the fair grew out of the need for a consolidated marketplace that would act as a platform to showcase the range and strength of what was then a fledgling market.” adding, “since then, the collectible design market has really changed in scale; it’s internationalized and diversified, and this is reflected very clearly in the fair. design miami/ has changed the way galleries engage with their audiences. i am excited to see this ecosystem bringing so many distinct viewpoints and aesthetics together.”

above> a rare photo (designapplause can never get him to pose) of muecke with a model of the pavilion concept

[ pavilion commission ]
minneapolis-based designer jonathan muecke has been commissioned to create the pavilion for the tenth anniversary of design miami/.

the design miami/ pavilion commission has become an important feature of the fair. an ephemeral extension of the fair space itself, the pavilion is at once an exhibit and a piece of functional temporary architecture. while the commission is traditionally given to an early career architect or studio, for its tenth anniversary design miami/ has selected a designer whose practice reflects the multifaceted nature of the fair itself.

alexandra cunningham cameron, creative director at design miami/ commented, “for our tenth anniversary, we wanted to pay homage to the type of young designer that design miami/ wishes to champion – one who experiments with materials, form and scale; who is as much a theorist as a maker; and who challenges us to consider how we relate to the world built around us.”

muecke studied architecture at iowa state, interning at the architectural office of herzog & de meuron in basel, switzerland before studying design at the cranbrook academy of art. muecke has evolved a design practice that resists standard divisions between design, art and architecture, instead focusing on refined forms that investigate notions of positive and negative space that relate to humanscale.

centered around a double-layered circular structure with apertures at both poles, muecke’s design miami pavilion (dmp) is designed on a human scale, rejecting monumentality in favor of lightness and variability.

above> in a not so rare photo of peter marino in leather on metal on leather. a leather vest pricked all over with metal studs, leather wrist guards with metal spikes, a leather hat with a metal skull, a strand of leather hanging from his neck which holds some metal knives, leather belt, metal belt buckle, metal knuckles with skulls, leather pants, leather boots. all the leather is always black.

[ new initiatives ]
design miami/ is launching two new forward-looking initiatives this year: the exhibition strand design curio, and the design visionary award.

conceived as contemporary ‘cabinets of curiosity’, the four independently curated design curio booths scattered throughout the fair will take the widest possible view of design practice. they will go beyond the scope of collectibledesign to embrace diverse fields from science and technology, to handcraft,and from unrealized prototypes to esoteric collections.

[ design visionary ]
the inaugural design visionary award recognizes peter marino. with this award, design miami/ recognizes marino for his achievements as an architect, for his knowledge and status as a collector of design, art and the decorative arts, and for the impact he has had as an advisor on contemporary and twentieth century design to his numerous clients.

commenting on the first edition of this award, primack stated, “this award is about recognizing the figures that have really propelled the world of design in the broader sense. peter is a great talent, and is also an amazing patron of others’ talents. his knowledge of furniture, his ability to create collections in design and his work with leading brands to help them understand the importance of bringing design voices into their world have substantially impacted the market and the language of design”.

marino founded his eponymous architecture, planning and design studio in new york in 1978 having trained with i. m. pei and george nelson. early clients included andy warhol, yves saint laurent and pierre bergé, and gianni and marella agnelli.

carsten höller and álvaro siza at vitra.

Jun 25, 2014

above> tower slide | carsten höller | 2013

The Vitra Campus recently launched two new projects for their campus; The Álvaro-Siza-Promenade and the Vitra Slide Tower by Carsten Höller.

The Vitra Slide Tower by Carsten Höller adds a new structure to the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein. With its prominent clock at the top, it is not a building in the classical sense but a viewing tower with a slide – and a work of art that enables a new and unique experience of self and art. The Vitra Slide Tower is 30.7-metre-high. The final solution is noticeably more pragmatic looking than Höller’s body of work and those of other buildings and sculpture on the campus.

‘a slide is a sculptural work with a pragmatic aspect, a sculpture that you can travel inside. however, it would be a mistake to think that you have to use the slide to make sense of it. looking at the work from the outside is a different but equally valid experience, just as one might contemplate the endless column by constantin brancusi from 1938. from an architectural and practical perspective, the slides are one of the building’s means of transporting people, equivalent to the escalators, elevators or stairs. slides deliver people quickly, safely and elegantly to their destinations, they’re inexpensive to construct and energy-efficient. they’re also a device for experiencing an emotional state that is a unique condition somewhere between delight and madness. it was described in the fifties by the french writer roger caillois as ‘a kind of voluptuous panic upon an otherwise lucid mind’.’ – carsten höller

[ the ongoing development of the vitra campus ] The construction of the Vitra Slide Tower is yet another step in the thirty-year development of the Vitra Campus. The production premises were first opened up to the public with the 1984 sculpture Balancing Tools by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Next came the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry (1989), the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando (1993) and the VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron (2010), the Prima sculpture by her Fire House (2013). The Vitra Slide Tower and the new Álvaro-Siza-Promenade further open up the grounds to the public and offer visitors a new experience. At the same time, the tower reinforces the topographical reorientation of the Campus.

1 Factory Buildings, Nicholas Grimshaw, 1981; 2 Balancing Tools Claes Oldenburg – Coosje van Bruggen, 1984; 3 Factory Buildings Nicholas Grimshaw, 1986; 4 Gate, Frank Gehry, 1989; 5 Factory Building, Frank Gehry, 1989; 6 Vitra Design Museum, Frank Gehry, 1989; 7 Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando, 1993; 8 Fire Station, 1993, Prima, 2013 by Zaha Hadid; 9 Factory Building, Alvaro Siza, 1994; 10 Dome, Richard Fuller. 1978-2000; 11 Petrol Station, Jean Prouvé, 1953-2003; 12 Bus Stop, Jasper Morrison, 2006; 13 VitraHaus, Herzog – de Meuron, 2010; 14 Factory Building, SANAA, 2010; 15 Tower Slide, Carsten Höller, 2014; 15 Álvaro Siza Promenade, Álvero Siza, 2014.

a resting area along the promenade

The new Promenade by Alvaro Siza extends and opens up the concept of “A day at Vitra” with a pilgrimage pathway that now directly connects Zaha Hadid’s Fire Station to Herzog & de Meuron’s Vitra Haus building and entrance.The new pathway acts similar to a pilgrimage route with multiple stations, settings and episodes along the way.

The Portuguese architect was a logical choice for the unique walkway as he completed the brick-clad production hall in 1994 and devised the layout of the adjacent parking areas. It’s yet another step in the thirty-year development of the Vitra Campus where visitor’s are invited to tour the museums, flagship store and buildings completed by internationally recognized architects.

Top picks. Design miami/ basel 2013.

May 31, 2013

design miami/ basel’s new herzog & de meuron designed home

Collectors, museum representatives, designers, architects and critics select their favorite work from [ Design Miami/ Basel ] 2013’s gallery program

Growth Chair | Mathias Bengtsson | Galerie Maria Wettergren | casted bronze 2012

“Growth Chair is arguably the most ambitious example yet attempted using a ‘digital seed’ that, guided by the designer’s protocols, grows wild in a virtual world.” ~Murray Moss / Principal, Moss Bureau

Wood Fossil Table 01 | Nucleo | Gabrielle Ammann // Gallery | wood and epoxy resin 2012

“As a kid, I collected all kinds of things cast in resin. Later, when I studied at the Cooper Union in New York, I cast my architectural models in resin, and now I am truely fascinated to see this conservation and display technique applied to furniture on a larger scale. It´s the real thing, and yet it holds back from us. It is sentimental. It feels as if it’s from a different time, and yet demands state of the art care and extreme technological control in the production process.” ~ Jürgen Mayer / Architect, J. Mayer H.

Ribbon Chair | Pierre Paulin | Jousse Entreprise | steel-foam & fabric 1966

“I have always loved the ribbon chair for its fluid qualities. To me, it has a great sense of humor. It almost looks like a smiling face.”~Vicente Wolf / Interior Designer

Writing Desk | Finn Juhl | Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery | rosewood, gunmetal & brass 1953

“The writing desk that Finn Juhl designed in 1953 consists of different elements: a drop-leaf made of rosewood, a metal tube supporting structure and a suspended four drawer cabinet. The different elements are clearly legible; Juhl broke with monumental gestures and the idea of material unity as well. Juhl’s writing desk is less organic than other danish design pieces of this time; he succeeded in blending international and danish tendencies. For me the writing desk is one of the most striking and convincing examples of modern design.” ~Hubertus Adam / Director, S AM – Schweizerisches Architekturmuseum

Collectors, museum representatives, designers, architects and critics select their favorite work from Design Miami/ Basel 2013’s gallery program.
Console & Mural | Alberto Giacometti | Galerie Jacques Lacoste | carved marble 1939

“Giacometti’s work in marble is an inspiration to the forms and shapes that can be abstracted from such a material. It allows for the imagination to go beyond what we see.” ~Juan Montoya / Interior Designer

Pair of chairs | Eileen Gray | Galerie Jacques Lacoste | chromium-plated tubular steel frames & leather ca. 1930

“My choice of two elegant chairs designed in the ’30’s by the great Eileen Gray, might have something to do with seeing her recent retrospective exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Artist, designer, architect, Eileen Gray was an anti-conformist and something of a jack-of-all-trades and I was bowled over by her diverse creativity. She was one of a rare breed of outstanding self-made women of her day, considered avant-garde and remarkable for breaking into a male dominated world. Most famous for her iconic lacquer tiled screens and carpets that resemble abstract canvases, even in her mid ’90’s, Miss Gray had an insatiable curiosity and she continue to work exploring and experimenting with new materials when the source of lacquer from China and Japan became scarce. The chromium-plated tubular steel and leather chairs I have selected, are restrained and almost austere. There is no showy flamboyance in their design. Rather a geometric simplicity and presence that has endured the passage of time.” ~Janice Blackburn / Curator and Journalist

Block containers | Sylvain Willenz | Victor Hunt Designart Dealer | cast glass 2012

“I find these to be extraordinary for their simplicity of form. The modern geometric shapes are versatile and add a pop of color to any interior” ~Alexandra Champalimaud / Interior Designer

Maison des Jours Meilleurs | Jean Prouvé | Galerie Patrick Seguin | aluminum & wood 1956

“My favorite of many favorites is the Maison des Jours Meilleurs from Jean Prouvé at Seguin. I love it and would be happy to move in immediately. After all, every day living in it promises to be one of ‘my jours meilleurs’.” ~Sam Keller / Director, Fondation Beyeler

1050 lamp | Gino Sarfatti | Galleria O. | aluminum & polished brass 1951

“The Gino Sarfatti 1050 Lamp looks like a casual constellation of different as found objects: the strange sculptured basement, the yellow spot and the pink round element on the top. These happy fellows form together an ambiguous and ironic presence in the room. It is static but at the same time it looks like it is going to move. It creates a new spatial perception oscillating between balance and instability. Looking at this Lamp you may find yourself wondering if something is wrong about it. There´s no answer. And this doubt makes it perfect.” ~Simona Malvezzi / Architect, Kühn Malvezzi

Ironing board coffee table | Greta Magnusson Grossman | R 20th Century | wood & brass 1952

“I have always been intrigued with designs created in the mid twentieth century. Equally, I enjoy the fact that this particular piece of furniture has drawn its inspiration from an utilitarian object of the everyday life. For me, it is timeless and poetic – it also possesses a sense of unassuming simplicity and is genuinely functional.” ~Andre Fu / Interior Designer, AFSO

[ Design Miami/ Basel ]

The masters: jean nouvel project. Milan 2013.

Apr 28, 2013

French designer Jean Nouvel tells an intriguing story with his Office for Living Project. 30 years from now if we look back at today’s office we will be stunned to find them — unlivable. In this installation there are several components. One is ‘il maestro’ a tribute to the masters amid a rejection of corporate environments.

standard desk, metropole chair n 308 | jean prouvé | 1943/50