As the smaller sister fair that accompanies Art Basel, Design Miami stands out amongst the multitude of satellite fairs for its smartly curated collection of participating galleries, design houses and workshops, each displaying it’s own slate of fine art furnishings and high concept decor.
Part of Design Miami‘s appeal is its modest size, allowing onlookers to easily lap the entire fair within an hour or two, its wide walkways providing for easy meandering — all of which encourages actual engagement with the works, as well as conversations with the exhibitors and often even the designers.
Also: Top 5 Highlights at PULSE Contemporary Art Fair
In comparison, Art Basel, housed in the massive convention center across the street, requires at least one full day (if not two) to fully take in, and even then, you’re doing so frenetically and without real focus, swept along by a flood of seemingly purposeless selfie-taking “enthusiasts”, along the way encountering many a dead-eyed gallerist who only has time for patrons with very deep pockets.
Whereas Art Basel often felt overbearing, fragmented and claustrophobic, Design Miami soothed with its handsomely spaced floor plan and imaginative displays, allowing for onlookers such as myself to form a decent understanding of what trends and which pieces are presently punctuating contemporary design.
Here’s a selection of stand-outs from the show:
Photos by James Armstrong and Andrew Pogany, unless otherwise noted.
Best Of Design Miami 2015
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Ernst Gamperl and Peter Marigold
Sarah Myerscough Gallery.
Left: The wood vessels by Ernst Gamperl are strange, primordial, and oddly fascinating.
Right: The Tall Bleed Cabinet and Small Bleed Cabinet by Peter Marigold are made of cedar coated with an acid that produces a rich, organic bleeding pattern.
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Stuart Haygarth - Raft Dogs
Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
"Raft Dogs", 2009 by Stuart Haygarth presents innumerous cute pooches under a warmly glowing mushroom shaped lamp— kitschy, cool, and fun.
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Stuart Haygarth - Raft Dogs
Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
"Raft Dogs", 2009 by Stuart Haygarth comes in a limited edition of 3.
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Eric Serritella - Untitled Bonsai Teapot
Jason Jacques Inc.
"Untitled Bonsai Teapot" by Eric Serritella consists of three stonewear pieces that fit seemlessly to create the magnificent illusion of an organic form.
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Eric Serritella - Untitled Bonsai Teapot
Jason Jacques Inc.
The "spout" of the teapot.
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Kim Simonsson - Moss People
Jason Jacques Inc.
"Moss People" by Kim Simonsson features cute/creepy ceramic children sculptures that reference Nordic fairytales.
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Kim Simonsson - Moss People
Jason Jacques Inc.
The moss on "Moss People" is actually a nylon coating.
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Lex Pott & Calico Wallpaper - Fragments
The Future Perfect.
"Fragments" by Dutch designer Lex Pott pairs naturally broken stone with polished planes of stone to create a compelling juxtaposition of organic and manufactured forms.
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Lex Pott & Calico Wallpaper - Fragments
The Future Perfect.
For Design Miami 2015, "Fragments" was framed by a custom handmade wall-covering painted with pigment derived from the same stone by New York-based Calico Wallpaper.
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Brian Thoreen - Rubber Credenza
Patrick Parrish Gallery.
The "Rubber Credenza" by L.A.-based designer Brian Thoreen simultaneously appears both malleable and immutable, elegant and industrial, minimal with a strikingly modern edge.
Image courtesy of the artist and gallery.
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Studio Wieki Somers - Bathboat Tub
Galerie kreo.
"Bathboat Tub" by Studio Wieki Somers is like a childhood fantasy come true. Made from oak and red cedar, it comes in a limited edition of 30.
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Lee Hun Chung - Stool With Legs
Seomi International.
Sit on the glazed ceramic "Stool With Legs" by Lee Hun Chung, take a puff, eat a cookie, and jump into the rabbit hole.
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Stefan Bishop - Console
Cristina Grajales Gallery.
"Console" by Stefan Bishop feels like it was carved from a shale cliff, though its actually made of claro walnut.
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Stefan Bishop - Console
Cristina Grajales Gallery.
This "Console" wasn't meant to hold your TV, but to replace it with something more visually stimulating.
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The Haas Brothers and The Haas Sisters - Afreaks
"Afreaks" is a collaboration between The Haas Brothers and The Haas Sisters, the latter a collective of female beadworkers from Cape Town. The result is a collection of beautifully beaded psychedelic mushrooms and objects, including this lounge chair.
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Best Of Design Miami 2015 #16
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Best Of Design Miami 2015 #17
