design miami 2016 highlights.
above> objets nomades by louis vuitton
design miami/ 2016 will continue its dedication to offering an extensive program of special events, satellite projects, collaborations and commissions to complement the gallery exhibitions this year.
returning this year and continuing to explore the relationship between fashion and design are fendi and louis vuitton. fendi brings a decidedly conceptual, mobile interpretation of a vip room, the happy room, which references the italian brand’s heritage and workmanship. louis vuitton adds to its objets nomades collection with two striking new furniture pieces. airbnb will present sobremesa, a shared space inspired by the mexican tradition of lingering around a table after a meal, working with emerging mexico city-based design studio, pedro&juana. long-time collaborator audi presents the extra hour, by lego, inspired by the audi rs 7 piloted driving concept and focusing on the new kind of freedom and control over time and for the fifth year, maison perrier-jouët returns, this time working with andrew kudless and focusing on the notion of digital craftsmanship. compac, spain-based surface manufacturer collaborates with israeli designer arik levy on an installation inspired by frozen lakes, referencing features of quartz and marble.
above> photo courtesy of the architect’s newspaper
above> the 2016 design miami/ pavilion by new york-based shop architects is flotsam & jetsam, a lattice-like pavilion made from biodegradable bamboo filament. the concept ties together two qualities, one visually obvious beach, the other, miami seen as a center for creative thinking and technological. the installation is currently the world’s largest 3d object. a collaboration with fabrication firm branch technology and oak ridge national laboratory who, also using a biodegradable bamboo medium to create the 3d rendered seating.
design miami/ collaborates with institutions, partners and sponsors to present newly commissioned works of design at each fair. these collaborations take the shape of immersive installations, curated exhibitions and unique objects that celebrate design innovation and express keen enthusiasm for design patronage.
above> audi presents the extra hour by lego / inspired by the audi rs 7 piloted driving concept and focusing on the new kind of freedom and control over time that has come along with it. audi has commissioned installations by international designers and architects including bjarke ingels, reed kram, clemens weisshaar and konstantin grcic, thus underlining the brand’s commitment to fostering design culture. each of audi’s installations has highlighted key elements of audi’s technological advancements and married automotive design with the most current developments in different fields of design, urban planning and architecture.
above> dean & deluca, the legendary new york gourmet market and leading international purveyor of fine food, is partnering with one of the world’s most innovative architects, ole scheeren, to create a prototype of his design for a unique food retail concept titled stage. stage presents a glowing, pristine object in polished stainless steel with the undulating topography of a bespoke, high tech display system, created for the powerful celebration of the preparation and presentation of food.
stage will be located in the main exhibition tent of the design fair and will operate throughout the duration of the fair as its main and sole food partner.
above> airbnb presents sobremesa, a lively exploration of shared space, by pedro&juana, an emerging mexico city-based design studio founded by ana paula ruiz galindo and mecky reuss. sobremesa is the mexican tradition of sharing time and space lingering around the table after a meal in casual conversation; pedro&juana recreate the experience of sobremesa in a unique environment inspired by iconic mexican courtyard spaces. walking into the installation, visitors will feel transported to a space that is authentically connected to the designers’ home city through plants, interior design and local everyday objects. the sobremesa installation will change and evolve throughout the week to represent how shared spaces—like airbnb homes—become rich in experience, spirit, and memory as more and more people live and participate in them over time. the exhibition also features a program of meals, cocktails, music, and experiences at designated times throughout the week, activated by an array of diverse hosts selected by the designers.
above> courtesy of fendi / alberto zanetti
fendi presents the happy room, an inspired interpretation of a modular vip room. with a soft and rarefied tone, distinguished by simple volumes and rounded shapes, the happy room by cristina celestino suggests harmony and delicacy. numerous iconic elements, such as the distinctive arch of palazzo della civiltà italiana in rome, or the inlay of materials; drawing on the stylistic matrix of the fendi fur atelier, which is repeated within the collection through innovative techniques and the contrasting play of various types of marbles.
happy room will be located in the main exhibition tent.
this year part of curio, a design miami’s new exhibition platform, which invites designers, curators, innovators and gallerists to present cabinets of curiosity throughout the fair. each curio reveals a total environment of objects, textures, artifacts and ideas that challenges and contextualizes familiar design narratives.
above> patricia findlay presents atelier biagetti’s no sex
no sex in miami is the current episode of atelier biagetti’s exploration of contemporary life and goes deep into the human psyche to address the all-time greatest obsession: the idea of sex. first shown during milan design week 2016 curated by maria cristina didero, this time it is the ultimate environment for psychological confrontation, the therapist’s studio. the space itself contains all the expected elements, but the deceptively familiar surroundings are not innocently functional but rather tease the viewer, thus provoking new kinds of behavior around the perception of what sexy is, and around the idea of contemporary design.
above> photo courtesy of friedman benda / adam reich
friedman benda returns to design miami with asymmetrical symmetry, two parallel room settings featuring the work of eleven contemporary designers. contrasts, opposites and asymmetries will illustrate the rich diversity and backgrounds of designers spanning four continents and four generations, while calling attention to the breadth and depth of each individual designer’s practice.
one room, a juxtaposition of non-traditional materials in a frenzy of vibrant colors and textures, marks friedman benda’s first collaboration with american artist chris schanck.this setting will feature a monumental contemporary dining table and mirror, and a new series of armchairs in schanck’s signature alufoil technique and will preview his first solo exhibition at friedman benda in september 2017. misha kahn, fresh from a working trip to south africa, will present the first in a new series of cabinets produced in swaziland made with woven grass, trash, car parts, and sea glass. the inclusion of the campana brothers’ bi-level marquetry table along with a pair of pink pirarucu armchairs, complete the room.
the second setting is an exploration of volumes, with furniture and objects in natural materials and earthy tones. british designer faye toogood’s volumetric roly-poly dining chairs in silver nitrate bronze will preview her first solo exhibition with friedman benda, assemblage 5, opening february 23, 2017. these chairs will be paired with korean designer byung hoon choi’s minimalist sculptural dining table in light oak and stone. american design legend, wendell castle, now 84, will show the first in his exciting new block series of carved chairs ‘born’ of wood, referencing classical sculpture of the renaissance period, marcel wanders’ low embroidered leather odjurss äte murmur chairs will be juxtaposed with los angeles based artist adam silverman’s organic ceramic vessels. the setting will include lighting – the unveiling of chilean design studio gt2p’s new remolten lava table lamps made from lava excavated from chile’s villarrica volcano; a voluminous rice paper and bamboo floor lamp by the influential italian architect and designer andrea branzi, as well as british designer paul cocksedge’scapture, a hand-spun aluminum dome chandelier, which holds the glow of a warm white light, but with no visible source.
brooklyn-based calico wallpaper will unify the rooms, a second collaboration with the company’s founders. inspired by the concept of optical illusion, calico wallpaper will present a site-specific print of their aurora wallpaper with a custom pattern designed to play with the viewer’s perception and challenge one’s visual system.
above> chicago based volume gallery focuses on american design, with a strong emphasis placed on emerging contemporary designers. featured designers in miami are: tanya aguiñiga, ania jaworska, christy matson, jonathan muecke, anders ruhwald, thaddeus wolfe.
above> at galerie kreo, clémence and didier krzentowski present exclusive limited-edition pieces by ronan & erwan bouroullec, pierre charpin, naoto fukasawa, konstantin grcic, hella jongerius, jasper morrison, marc newson, maarten van severen and martin szekely, as well as work by françois bauchet, humberto & fernando campana, alessandro mendini, jerszy seymour, studio wieki somers and others.
above> curved seat by jonathan nesci in waxed aluminum plate for giovanni beltran
giovanni beltran is a miami-based design agency founded in 2015 by the gallery noguchi breton [originally guccivuitton]. as noguchi breton, we have been engaged with the cultural and material vernaculars embedded within artistic practices of south florida since 2013. giovanni beltran maintains our interest in colloquial aesthetics to include the development and promotion of furniture, design and architecture.
designers> jonathan gonzalez, jonathan nesci, lex pott, deon rubi
off site/
the following are venues around the city:
above> courtesy of louis vuitton
objets nomades is a collection of furniture that reinvents louis vuitton’s art of travel. the installation will be composed of its most emblematic creations, some of which were especially made for design miami/: the stool by atelier oi, the cocoon by the campana brothers, the bell lamp by barber & osgerby, the concertina table , chair and light shade by raw edges, the swing chair by patricia urquiola and the lounge chair by marcel wanders. louis vuitton also unveils the blossom stool, designed by tokujin yoshioka, and the fur cocoon by the campana brothers. sharing a sense of intuitiveness, desire and pleasure, the objets nomades aims to continue louis vuitton’s tradition of offering inspiring and surprising designs to clients all over the world.
the blossom stool and fur cocoon will be displayed at design miami from 30 november until 4 december and are available for purchase during the design fair. the collection will then reside through january at the boutique store / 140 ne 39th street miami
above> evergreen brasil / luminaire lab / 3901 ne 2nd ave miami
luminaire’s commitment to promoting good design continues with evergreen brasil, an exhibition of brazilian designs debuting during art basel and design miami/ week thursday 1 december and on display until 31 december in collaboration with casa vogue brasil. the exhibition features a curated selection of multidisciplinary design covering furniture, accessories and jewelry from both emerging and established designers. characterized by their welcoming attitude, special connection to nature, celebratory lifestyle, inventiveness even when materials are scarce, and tendency to experiment and improvise — brazilian design is a celebration of diversity.
above> the speed of light courtesy of london designer philippe malouin. the speed of light sets lantern-esque led light globes in the design district on a path along the paseo ponti pedestrian mall / paseo ponti & ne 40th street miami
video courtesy philippe malouin