Design Miami/ Basel 2021 Celebrates the Return to In-Person Events with Strong Attendance and Sales
Plus Design Miami/ Expands to Doha and First Details From Design Miami/ 2021 Announced
Basel, September 30, 2021 - Design Miami/ Basel concluded its fifteenth edition last week with 26 galleries, 14 Curios and 5 Design at Large exhibitions. Preview day attendance on Monday 20 September almost matched pre-pandemic record numbers, showing renewed support for the return to in-person events after a short hiatus in 2020.
Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Design Miami/ said: “Last week we hosted a reunion of the world’s leading galleries, collectors, designers and architects after too long apart. The fair was as active and engaged as ever, with top of market sales, institutional acquisitions and much anticipation for the Miami, Shanghai and Doha fairs. We couldn’t be happier with the response and feel energized by the strength of the collectible design market”.
Francois Laffanour of LAFFANOUR-Galerie Downtown said: “After months of waiting, Design Miami Basel is a ray of light for galleries. Although American collectors were not as present as before, sales were good and established references including Perriand and Prouvé furniture was greatly appreciated by our clients. The ground floor installation with Fujimoto was perhaps the most beautiful and poetic thing that I have ever seen at Basel. This fair is evidently a great moment for our profession”.
%20(2).jpg "Mathieu Lehanneur - State of the World at Design Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris) (2)")
Designer Mathieu Lehanneur said: “There are people and places that we miss when we stay away for too long, Design Miami/ is one of them. It was a great pleasure to see our friends and collectors again and to mark this special occasion I didn’t come alone, I brought the entire world with me! In Basel I unveiled a new collection that embodies and represents the worldwide population: "State of the World". For a new state of mind”.
Curated by Curatorial Director, Aric Chen, this year’s Design Miami/ Basel explored the thematic of Human Nature, exploring the evolving relationship between humans, nature--and human nature. Many of the galleries and partners responded to the theme, exploring relationships with new materials, technology and our connections with the people around us. A standout for visitors was Shy Synchrony by DRIFT, presented by Design Miami/ and Superblue in downstairs Hall 1.0 - the entrance to Design Miami/ Basel. This immersive, multi-sensory work was inspired by the movement of plants as they respond to the sun and the moon - a process known as ‘nyctinasty’ - and became a place of calm and reflection.
Presented in hybrid format for the first time, objects from the showfloor were available to view and shop online. Visitors could also experience a virtual 3D tour of the fair, powered by Matterport, as well as curated tours highlighting standout works from the galleries. Design Miami/ Basel 2021 also incorporated DM/BX, Design Miami’s newly launched online design destination featuring one-of-a-kind pieces, limited-edition designs and newly released works by celebrated and emerging designers. Design Miami/ Basel featured a dedicated booth with work by designers Laura Sattin and Diego Faivre that could be seen and shopped both online and in-person at the fair.
NOTABLE SALES/
At Paris gallery Patrick Seguin, major pieces sold including as a pair of Visiteur armchairs (ca. 1952) by Jean Prouvé and a Flaque coffee table by Jean Royère (ca. 1959). Works by The Lalanne were also popular, at Galerie Mitterrand a range of pieces priced between €50,000 and €2 million sold during the fair. New York’s Thomsen Gallery sold a number of rare post-war Japanese bamboo baskets and ceramics by Sueharu Fukami. Following acclaimed international exhibitions of her work over the past 18-months, Charlotte Perriand’s work once again proved popular amongst collectors with LAFFANOUR-Galerie Downtown selling a number of pieces by the French designer to private collectors. Amongst contemporary works, best in show winner, Ammonoid Gamma by Misha Kahn sold at Friedman Benda.
%20(1).jpg "LAFFANOUR - Galerie Downtown at Design Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris) (1)")
.jpg "Galerie Patrick Seguin at Desin Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris (4)")
DESIGN MIAMI/ BASEL - BEST IN SHOW AWARDS/
Each year Design Miami enlists a jury of experts to review the onsite exhibitions and present the Best in Show awards. This year’s jury for Design Miami/ Basel included architect Lee Mindel, art advisor Simon Andrews, art advisor Jeremy Morrison, Design Miami/ Vice President of Fairs Grela Orihuela, and incoming Design Miami/ Curatorial Director Wava Carpenter.
- Best Gallery Presentation/ Geoffrey Diner Gallery, Washington DC
Geoffrey Diner debuted at Design Miami/ Basel with an impressive display of important and rare historic works including pieces by Nakashima, Tiffany, and Campo & Graffi. - Best Curio/ Americana: Industrial Design of the 1940s by Converso, in collaboration with USM Haller
Converso showcases a West Coast collection of exemplary early modern industrial objects amassed over the last 30 years. Americana included the choicest, rarest examples of industrial design production by canonical modern giants: radios, clocks, fans, hair dryers, waffle irons,and harmonicas designed for mass consumption by the likes of Charles Eames and Alvar Aalto.
%20(1).jpg "Geoffrey Diner Gallery at Design Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris) (1)")
%20(2).jpg "Converso at Design Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris) (2)")
- Best Historical Object/ Rotating Sculpture by Alessandro Mendini, presented by Galleria Rossella Colombari
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the gallery, Rosella Colombari presented this larger-than-life motorized rotating sculpture designed by Alessandro Mendini for the Fiorucci in Verona in 1997. - Best Contemporary Object/ Ammonoid Gamma by Misha Kahn, presented by Fridman Benda
The Ammonoid series refers to a group of extinct cephalopods, in the mollusk family, that is related to the modern day Nautilus. Kahn’s Ammonoid Gamma is cloaked in pink and yellow—a combination that at first blush might evoke a candy-shop, but also one of the most marvelous combinations found in nature, be it on a flower or a Rosy Maple moth—is also wooly in nature. The felt is hand-tailored “on the body” so as to keep the lines as crisp as its 3-D rendering origin. - Best Design at Large/ State of the World by Mathieu Lehanneur
Mathieu Lehanneur debuted, “State of the World," at Design Miami/ Basel, a large scale presentation that provided a freeze frame of all living humans today in over 100 countries, from data provided by the United Nations, illustrated in a collection of anodized aluminum works that arise from a three-dimensional population pyramid of different countries.
%20(2).jpg "Gallerie Rosella Colombari at Design Miami 2021 (image credit James Harris) (2)")
With a wealth of strong historic and contemporary works on show, the jury also highlighted the Top 5 Historical Works and Top 5 Contemporary Works on show:
TOP 5 HISTORICAL WORKS/
- Scandinavian Carpet & Acking Sofa, presented by Galerie Eric Philippe
- Caligari’s Mistress’s Desk & Chair by Wendell Castle, presented by Friedman Benda
- Tête à Lumière by André Borderie, presented by Jousse Entreprise.
- Unique Chainmail Fire Screen by Tiffany, presented by Geoffrey Diner Gallery
- Unique Double Desk by Melchiorre Bega, presented by Galleria Rossella Colombari
TOP 5 CONTEMPORARY WORKS/
- Yellow Ashtray by Sterling Ruby, presented by Pierre Marie Giraud
- Ornament-Cube II by Edith Lundebrekke, presented by Galleri Format Oslo
- Kurenai Light Object by Ane Lykke, presented by Galerie Maria Wettergren
- Raw Bench from Revelation Of Gaia Collection by Chen Furong & Vega Zaishi Wang, presented by Objective Gallery
- Joshua Totem 03 by Daniel Valero of Mestiz, presented by AGO Projects
CURIO/
This year’s Curio presentations saw fourteen exhibitions exploring the cutting edge of design presented in fully-conceived environments. With a number of debut exhibitions amongst the Curios, standout presentations included a solo exhibition of works by artist and designer Lionel Jadot at Everyday Gallery created an immersive experience that illustrated Jadot’s upcycling instincts and “The Elevator” by New York-based designer Harry Nuriev which showcased a new collection of parametric furniture in a surreal, silver elevator environment that explored the idea of a lift as a room constantly in motion. Another first time exhibitor, Peter Blake Gallery, created an immersive site-specific exhibition of Amsterdam-based designer Germans Ermičs ‘Shaping Color’ series of ethereal pieces of glass furniture that straddle the line between functional design and art objects. While Danish designer Maria Bruun presented her innovative contribution to the long history of classic Danish furniture design, Reflected Surroundings, reflected Bruun’s own fascination with the circle and the mirror, bringing her unique global perspective to the long history of traditional Danish design.
%20(3).jpg "Harry Nuriev at Design Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris) (3)")
%20(1).jpg "Everyday Gallery at Design Miami Basel 2021 (image credit James Harris) (1)")
DESIGN AT LARGE/
Design at Large is a platform for large-scale works of historic and contemporary design, showcasing ambitious installations and pieces within Design Miami/. Sucuri Snake by Noemi Saga Atelier is a monolithic sculpture in a stone called Botanic Green, an emerald green quartzite produced by Pettrus, a quarry located in Bahia, Brazil. Its modules are built in different heights, suggesting movement and inviting audience's interaction.
%20(1).jpg "Noemi Saga Atelier Sucuri Snake (image credit James Harris) (1)")
%20(2).jpg "Joseph Walsh Studio - Magnus Sculpture (image credit James Harris) (2)")
.jpg)
SUPERBLUE/
Taking over the 2500 sqm Event Hall 1.0 at Design Miami/ Basel, Superblue, the new venture dedicated to producing, presented a standout multi-sensory experience featuring the Dutch artist duo DRIFT and a site-specific pavilion by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto designed in response to DRIFT’s installation. The largest of DRIFT's Shylights installations to date, Shy Synchrony filled Design Miami’s massive entrance hall, providing visitors a moment of synchrony with their immediate surroundings. Forest of Space, an elliptical pavilion by architect Sou Fujimoto conceived in response to DRIFT’s installation, recreated a dynamic forest that intervenes in the space and with the movement of visitors to Design Miami/ Basel. - the pavilion instilled a reconnection with nature and highlighted the interaction between viewers’ bodies and their surroundings.
TALKS PROGRAM/
Presented by Doha Design District, the Design Miami/ Basel talks program also embraced the fair’s new hybrid format, offering both in-person and digital talks available to visitors around the world. Design Miami/ Basel also hosted a screening of the new documentary film, Breuer’s Bohemia by James Crump which surveys a collection of private homes designed by iconic architect-designer Marcel Breuer for his most politically progressive clients between the 1950s and 1970s. Talks are still available to watch now at designmiami.com, highlights include:
The Hot List: Emerging Designers in the US and Europe
Who are today’s up-and-coming ones-to-watch? Dung Ngo, founder and editor-in-chief of AUGUST Journal, talks shop with editor-curator Monica Khemsurov of Sight Unseen and curator Alice Stori Liechtenstein of Schloss Hollenegg. Together they survey the contemporary design landscape and share the work that excites them most right now.
It’s Personal: Design Inspired by Time, Place, and Identity, presented by DM/BX
How is the handmade uniquely suited to personal storytelling, and how does storytelling heighten the appeal of the handmade? Moderated by incoming Design Miami/ Curatorial Director Wava Carpenter, this conversation explores the roles that personal biography and subjective experience play in the work of three emerging designer-makers: Darren Appiagyei, Diego Faivre, and Laura Sattin.
DESIGN MIAMI/ 2021 EXPLORES HUMAN KIND/
The 17th edition of Design Miami/ will take place in Pride Park, opposite the Miami Beach Convention Center, from 1-5 December in Miami Beach, Florida. The first curated by incoming Curatorial Director, Wava Carpenter, this year's programming will explore the theme of Human Kind, spotlighting design-led visions for a more equitable and interconnected future.
Design Miami/ Curatorial Director Wava Carpenter Said: “I have always been interested in how we can use design to help create a better future and I’m excited to be able to do more of this in my role as Curatorial Director of Design Miami/. While December will be a time to celebrate being together again in Miami with our wonderful galleries and partners, it is also an opportune time to reflect on some of the social and environmental issues that have been highlighted over the past 2 years such as the lack of diversity in design. We have an opportunity to use the incredible platform that is Design Miami/ to hopefully start some conversations around these issues”.
Design Miami/ 2021
1-5 December, Miami Beach
Schedule of Events/
Preview Day/ By Invitation Only
Tuesday, November 30/
Members Preview/ 11AM - 12PM
Collector’s Preview/ 12-7PM
Wednesday, December 1/
VIP Preview/ 11AM - 1PM
Public Show Days/
Wednesday, December 1/ 1–8PM
Thursday, December 2/ 11AM–8PM
Friday, December 3/ 12–8PM
Saturday, December 4/ 12–8PM
Sunday, December 5/ 12–6PM
DESIGN MIAMI/ DOHA 2022 ANNOUNCED/
Design Miami/ has also announced a three-year partnership with Msheireb Properties to bring Design Miami/ to Doha, Qatar starting in Spring 2022. Msheireb Properties, the pioneering real estate development company behind the Doha Design District, is joining forces with Design Miami/ with the ambition to define Doha as a new global design hub. The Doha Design District will host the region’s first Design Miami/ Podium exhibition in Msheireb Properties’ flagship development project, Msheireb Downtown Doha.
Design Miami/ Basel 2021 Galleries/
AGO Projects/ Mexico City
Angela Weber Möbel/ Zurich
Bailly Gallery/ Geneva, Paris
Carpenters Workshop Gallery/ London, Paris, New York
Etage Projects/ Copenhagen
Friedman Benda/ New York
Galerie Eric Philippe/ Paris
Galerie kreo/ Paris
Galerie Maria Wettergren/ Paris
Galerie Mitterrand/ Paris
Galerie Patrick Seguin/ Paris
Galerie Philippe Gravier/ Paris
Galerie SCENE OUVERTE/ Paris
Galleria Rossella Colombari/ Milan
Geoffrey Diner Gallery/ Washington D.C.
Gokelaere & Robinson/Brussels, Knokke
Hemmerle/ Munich
Jousse Entreprise/ Paris
LAFFANOUR-Galerie Downtown/ Paris
Lebreton/San Francisco
MANIERA/ Brussels
Pierre Marie Giraud/Brussels
Priveekollektie Contemporary ART | DESIGN, Heusden aan de Maas
SIDE Gallery/ Barcelona
Thomas Fritsch-ARTRIUM/ Paris
Thomsen Gallery/ New York
Design Miami/ Basel 2021 Curios/
Carpenters Workshop Jewellery/ London, Paris, New York
Converso/ Chicago
Everyday Gallery/ Antwerp
Galleri Format Oslo/ Oslo
Gallery Japonesque/ San Francisco
Harry Nuriev/ Brooklyn
Maria Bruun/ Copenhagen
Mercado Moderno/ Rio de Janeiro
Nadja Zerunian/ Vienna
Objective Gallery/ Shanghai
OK KIM STUDIO/ Seoul
Paul Bourdet Fine Furniture/ Paris
Peter Blake Gallery/ Laguna Beach
Todd Merrill Studio/ New York
Design Miami/ Basel 2021 Design at Large/
Carpenters Workshop Gallery/ London, Paris, New York
Galerie Mitterrand/ Paris
Joseph Walsh Studio/ Cork
Mathieu Lehanneur/ Paris
Noemi Saga Atelier/ Sāo Paolo