December 2 - 6, 2008
For the first time, Design Miami/ is curating an exhibition
of contemporary and historical design, intended to compliment and unify
the array of participants in this year’s show through a single compelling
theme. The exhibition, entitled “Beyond Organic: Design in the State
of Nature,” offers an exuberant, witty and inspiring celebration
of the natural world reflected through objects contributed by the show’s
galleries, sponsors and Design Talks speakers.
The exhibition engages nature in all its unruly
complexity, commingling tropical plants with a collection of design objects
that seduce the viewer into reflecting upon the relationship between the
natural and the manmade. The exhibition’s title and theme respond
as much to new directions in design as to current social issues, such
as the desire to escape our super populated urban environments and a growing
sensitivity toward environmental concerns. While Modernism has been a
dominant twentieth century aesthetic – with its chief concern to
create functional, simplified forms suited to mass production –
in recent years the field of design has opened to new forms of expression.
Innovations and Beyond Organic.
Revivals in production methods are encouraging designers
to create super-organic forms that were once difficult to sustain within
the mass-market factory system. At the same time, numerous radical or
craft-based twentieth-century designers who were once considered on the
fringe of the mainstream are finding renewed appreciation.
In addition to collaborating with the galleries, Design Miami/ has involved award-winning landscape architecture practice Font Designs in the exhibition’s scenography.
Contributors
Albion / Antik / Casati Gallery / Clear Gallery / Craig Robins / Cristina
Grajales Inc / Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery / Demisch Danant / Donzella
20th Century / Johnson Trading Gallery / Jousse Entreprise / Nilufar +
Julia Lohmann /
Kenny Schachter ROVE Gallery / Magen H. Gallery / Moss / Perimeter/ Priveekollektie
Contemporary Art + Design / R 20th Century / Swarovski Crystal Palace
/ VIVID Gallery + Design Drift / Richard Wright + Arik Levy
The Design Talks program has been revamped to simulate a TV chat show format. Over the course of three days, nine eminent designers, representing a range of disciplines and styles, will be interviewed one-on-one by Dezeen.com’s Marcus Fairs in front of a live audience and filmed for broadcast over the web. Each designer participating in the Design Chats will discuss with Marcus five evocative images that encapsulate the most significant concepts, attitudes, forms, and approaches that have influenced their careers or even inspired specific works.
Meta presents a unique installation of new designs displayed alongside some of the finest historical pieces of furniture and objets d’art. Meta’s collection redefines the standard for contemporary design, combining 18th-century knowledge and exquisite materials with 21st-century aesthetics. All pieces on view are available for purchase.
with:
Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby
Hani Rashid & Lise Anne Couture
Asymptote
Matali Crasset
Tord Boontje
Rod & Alison Wales, Wales & Wales
Al
Sabah Art & Design Collection
Pieke Bergmans
Hoda Baroudi & Maria Hibri (aka Bokja)
The exhibition features restored mother-of-pearl furniture from the heart
of the Middle East, dressed and treated with Pieke Bergman’s unconventional
Design Virus techniques. The result is the birth of an extraordinary design
series that combines minutely detailed furniture with brilliantly seductive
crystal, underlining the compatibility of the artistic sensibilities of
East and West.
The exhibition features
also pieces of furniture, primarily vintage, upholstered in bold, contrasting
embroidered textiles originating from across the globe. This collection
of design objects represents styles and tastes drawn from the four corners
of the world and synthesized into an original vision of exceptional contemporary
design.
Kaikai Kiki
Kaikai Kiki was founded as a studio by Takashi Murakami in 2001 and evolved from its predecessor, the Hiropon Factory. With bases in Tokyo, Japan and Long Island City, New York, Kaikai Kiki is a unique organization dedicated not only to the production and promotion of artwork, but the management and support of select artists, the organization of events and projects, and the production and promotion of design products.
Paperlove: Presented by Luminaire
Paperlove is an auction of one-of-a-kind pieces of art from world-renowned designers, architects and artists. 100% of the proceeds will go to benefit the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the foremost cancer research facilities in the world. Uniting for the single cause of conquering cancer through art and design, we look forward to making a significant contribution toward finding a cure.
Maarten Baas for Ruinart Champagne
Art Basel Miami Beach
Constructed from Murano glass, silver and bottles of Ruinart Champagne, Bouquet de Champagne de Dom Ruinart is inspired by an 18th century Venetian chandelier and is designed to appear as if the chandelier has fallen and is melting into the table, along with bottles of Dom Ruinart and specially designed flutes.
December 5, 2008 - March 10, 2009
Thoughts on DemocracyThe Wolfsonian, Florida International University announces Thoughts on Democracy, an innovative initiative that brings together 60 renowned contemporary artists and designers to present original works inspired by Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” posters.
Gridnik - Wim Crouwel and Modern Typography
The Wolfsonian will be collaborating with Wim Crouwel on an exhibition, drawn from collections of Stedelijk Museum, private lenders and the Wolfsonian itself. The graphic works of Crouwel is known in the design community and will be examined within the context of design, typography and innovations of the early twentieth-century.
wolfsonian.org