DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL Announces Preview Highlights for 2024 Edition
- Over 25 exhibitor presentations, with 10 debut exhibitors
- Late design icon, Gaetano Pesce, to be honored in presentations by Friedman Benda (New York/LA), Pulp Galerie (Paris), and downtown+ (Paris)
- Significant moments in design history celebrated with rare pieces at Ketabi Bourdet Design (Paris), Thomsen Gallery (New York), and Gallery Downtown-LAFFANOUR (Paris)
- Contemporary highlights explore themes of materiality and boundary pushing design, including a thoughtful Curio presentation by 193 Gallery (Paris)
May 10, 2024, Basel – DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL announces its preview highlights from the galleries presenting at the 18th edition of the fair. Returning to its iconic Swiss location at Basel’s Messeplatz, this edition will run from June 11 - 16, 2024, with Preview Day on June 10.
Design Miami CEO, Jen Roberts says: “Last year was a significant milestone in the evolution of Design Miami, and this year will only see the momentum continue. The eighteenth edition of our Basel fair follows the announcement of our global rebrand, and the inaugural Los Angeles edition. I greatly look forward to returning to our flagship location in Basel, to continue our mission at Design Miami: building and cultivating creative collaboration and a global platform for cultural exchange.”
Design Miami Senior VP of Fairs, Grela Orihuela says: “We are delighted to be returning to our Swiss home for the eighteenth edition of DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL. This year’s programming presents us with an opportunity to celebrate the best in collectible design through the eras - from design history icons to future trailblazers. We are particularly excited to share with our international community such a robust Curio program, which will see seven galleries make their debut on our global platform.”
GALLERY & CURIO HIGHLIGHTS.
For the eighteenth edition of DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL, the fair will welcome an array of rare and unique displays showcasing the best of collectible design.
Upon entering the Messeplatz, audiences will also be greeted by a collaborative gallery presentation by Friedman Benda (New York/LA), Pulp Galerie (Paris), and downtown+ (Paris), in remembrance of the late Gaetano Pesce (1939 - 2024). Within the entrance hall, guests will have a chance to view a selection of key works from the 1970s to present, honoring the legacy of the 21st century design icon whose work has featured prominently at Design Miami over the years.
Once inside the fair, audiences will be met with a rich program of gallery and curio presentations. Highlights include first-time exhibitors: Galerie Eva Presenhuber (Zurich/Vienna); MAXIME FLATRY (Paris); Objects with Narratives (Brussels); and a Curio program that will see a notable number of debut exhibitors: Craft x Tech (Tokyo); Mameluca (Lisbon); Nolwa Studio (Hyderabad); Nick Thomm (Melbourne/Los Angeles); and Pulp Galerie (Paris); with Karry Berreby (Paris) making its Basel debut.
From these engaging exhibitions, key thematic threads emerge:
STORIES OF MATERIALITY.
Objects with Narratives (Brussels) will make its debut at DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL with a solo exhibition of Belgian designer and craftsman, Ben Storms, titled Liquid Solids. Storms’ experimental design practice is defined by dynamic processes that challenge the potential of materials. For Basel, Storms embraces fluidity - a concept which flows through his processes and ideas, to the resulting, transitional works produced, through to the booth scenography. A layer of water will cover the floor, conjuring the illusion of floating volumes and objects; on entering the setting, all sureness dissolves. In the designs themselves, fluidity is addressed as a captivating interaction between states and qualities. From consoles to wall pieces, coffee tables to room dividers, forms seem frozen in a process of transformation. A new series called Crushed starts with sheets of metal welded together to form a transitory shape, which is then transformed under intense pressure in a fluid, almost intuitive process. Further works in glass and Onyx also challenge states of permanence. Glass appears to be stone, then water, a liquid that has solidified. Meanwhile, Onyx alludes to the processes of aeons of seeping water and minerals, sediments that echo the currents that shaped them.
Returning to the Basel fair, Galerie Gastou (Paris) will place a spotlight on the materiality of plastic. The gallery will explore plastic materials through the design philosophies expressed by Shiro Kuramata’s quiet simplicity, and Gaetano Pesce’s Baroque extravagance. This striking juxtaposition will aim to promote the beauty of plastic, while creating a harmonious dialogue between seemingly opposing styles. Through careful curation, the exhibition will showcase the spectrum of ways plastic can be used: crafted to convey the balance of Kuramata’s minimalism, to the lavish theatricality of Pesce’s designs.
Galerie Mitterrand (Paris) will bring together iconic works by renowned designer couple, François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, in a celebration of the two sculptural visionaries. The exhibition will feature a unique Choupatte by Claude Lalanne, dating to the 1960s, alongside a set of three Oies by François-Xavier Lalanne. Le Choupatte is one of Claude Lalanne’s earliest works - it is through this work that Claude Lalanne expresses her most virtuous use of the galvanoplasty technique, whereby cabbage leaves are immersed in an electrolytic bath to obtain copper imprints.
Spazio Nobile (Brussels) will showcase within the Curio program, to present LUNISOLAR - a duo exhibition between Taiwanese designer, Pao Hui Kao, and acclaimed Norwegian ceramicist, Ann Beate Tempelhaug. The exhibition title, LUNISOLAR, responds to themes of material developments - exploring poetry, calligraphy, and painting with Urushi lacquer or porcelain glaze techniques to reflect the rhythm of nature. Pao Hui and Tempelhaug mutually explore the essence of stoneware porcelain, paper, and lacquer, from which they each translate into abstract ceramic and lacquer paintings, as well as in the paper furniture.
Galerie kreo (Paris) will explore themes of materiality through the lens of technology. The gallery will present TRANSFORMERS by German industrial designer Konstantin Grcic. Within this collection, Konstantin reimagines the original purpose of a precision measuring device, typically utilized in the automotive industry. Konstantin bridges technological and industrial design techniques to create a collection of nine pieces - ceiling lights, floor lamps, tables, and consoles - meticulously crafted from sleek black or silver anodized aluminum.
Craft x Tech (Tokyo) is a pioneering initiative founded by Hideki Yoshimoto / TANGENT with the curatorial direction of Maria Cristina Didero, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional Japanese craft and contemporary technology. Its inaugural exhibition opens in Tokyo in late May 2024, before traveling to DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL for Craft x Tech’s debut Curio. In a convergence of tradition and innovation, international creators were invited to create work inspired by six craft districts from Japan's Tohoku region. Among the highlight outcomes, Dutch creator Sabine Marcelis has worked with Akita artisans to infuse Kawatsura-Shikki lacquerware with contemporary vitality; while Ini Archibong, based in Switzerland, celebrates Tsugaru-Nuri lacquerware with a unique musical device.
MOMENTS IN DESIGN HISTORY.
Making its DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL debut, Maxime Flatry (Paris) will present an exhibition dedicated to the timeless legacy of Jean-Michel Frank. Primarily focusing on Frank’s quest to design a simplicity that involves essentializing forms and spaces, Maxime Flatry’s presentation will act as a tribute to the creator who has left an indelible mark on the arts and design landscape.
First-time exhibitor, Galerie Eva Presenhuber (Zurich/Vienna) will also present a solo exhibition dedicated to works by Franz West. West placed everyday items - from chairs and tables to coat racks and bookshelves - through his sculptural lens and approach to design. The presentation will spotlight how West challenged the way design is experienced and defined, through repositioning its interpretation as both a sculptural and social experience.
Diwan, 1991 by Franz West from Galerie Eva Presenhuber at Design Miami Basel 2024 (Image courtesy of Franz West Privatstifung, Vienna, and Galerie Eva Presenhuber)
An ensemble of pieces by Jean-Michel Frank, circa 1930 by Jean-Micheal Frank from Maxime Flatry at Design Miami Basel 2024 (Image courtesy of Galerie Maxime Flatry)Galerie Downtown-LAFFANOUR (Paris) will celebrate icons of 20th century design, through a presentation focusing on the works by renowned Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret and Serge Mouille. Galerie Patrick Seguin (Paris) will also recognise this significant era of design through a carefully curated exhibition of collectible works by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Jean Royère.
Pulp Galerie (Paris) will present an exhibition dedicated to the works of the late Gaetano Pesce, offering an impressive collection of early pieces, most of which have been acquired from the private collection of Dutch photographers Petra and Erik Esmerg, who shot many of Pesce’s works over his celebrated career. The booth scenography is inspired by an Italian garden, an invitation to visitors to promenade around the pieces as if viewing antique sculptures. Key highlight pieces include furniture first shown at the Centre Pompidou 1996 exhibition, Le temps des questions, including the Pratt chair n°7 and Sick (or Sikh) Cabinet, handmade by Gaetano Pesce himself for the exhibition.
BOUNDARY PUSHING DESIGN.
Friedman Benda (New York/Los Angeles) returns to DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL to present a setting showcasing the dynamism of neoteric voices, punctuated by keystone works from influential, established figures. The group installation will focus on sculptural works by eight visionary designers, including Ini Archibong, Wendell Castle, Enrico Marone Cinzano, Carmen D’Apollonio, Misha Kahn, Samuel Ross, Ettore Sottsass, and Barbora Žilinskaitė.
Ketabi Bourdet Design (Paris) will unite the work of Philippe Starck and Elizabeth Garouste under one exhibition. In 1969 the two designers, who were studying at École Camondo together at the time, decided to leave their studies to pursue their careers in design. Both designers stand at the epicenter of design as trailblazers in their own right; with two unique, and contrasting, styles: Starck, with a radical minimalist style, and Garouste, with her opulent and neo-baroque kitsch. Ketabi Bourdet will unite the diverging design principles of this long standing friendship into a celebration of these two iconic designers in their own right.
193 Gallery (Paris) will present an original exhibition designed by Ben Arpea, titled Sphere, as part of the Curio program. The exhibition will explore the symbiosis between organic forms inspired by nature and everyday functionality. Each piece of the collection invites a dialogue between the natural environment and the living space in which the design resides: from the soft, curving lines of the Mediterranean shore, to the raw texture of wood and stone. Through boundary pushing craftsmanship and techniques, Arpea works with natural materials including wood, stone, concrete, marble, travertine, and ceramics, to carefully reveal the materials’ inherent beauty.
GLOBAL FOCUS.
Angela Weber Möbel (Zurich) will show a selection of Italian, American, and Nordic design from the first half of the 20th century: from American icons including Frank Lloyd Wright, Samuel Marx and Vladimir Kagan to the pinnacle of Italian design expertise from the likes of Gio Ponti. Galerie Eric Philippe (Paris) will continue this conversation between international designers through a dialogue with American and Swedish Modernism. Highlights will include a small steel sofa by Paul László; a large bronze gong by Harry Bertoia; a walnut shelf by Philip Lloyd Pwell; a brass suspension lamp by Swedish architect Carl Axel Acking; and lamps by Finnish designer Paavo Tynell.
For its Design Miami debut, Mameluca (Lisbon) will present an exhibition within the Curio program. Titled Bridge: Dialogue, the exhibition will embark on a profound exploration of the intricate tapestry of global civilizations, weaving together parallels between social evolution and geological forces. Highlights include The Castle, an installation which was conceived to honor the rich cultural legacy of the ancient peoples who once inhabited the land now known as Portugal, paying homage to their enduring influence and invaluable contributions.
Pierre Marie Giraud (Brussels) will explore a cross-cultural dialogue through a carefully curated selection of designers from the United States, Japan, and Europe. This exhibition will represent the pinnacle of design, and highlight the talent and diverse artistic expressions from around the world. Pierre Marie Giraud will offer a vibrant meeting point, where the rich cultural heritage of each designer converges and intertwines.
Meanwhile, taking a country specific approach to its curation, Thomas Fritsch-ARTRIUM (Paris) will present an array of French ceramics dating between 1945 and 1970. Highlight designers include Pablo Picasso, Jacques Pouchain, Georges Jouve, and Jean Derval, amongst others. Thomsen Gallery (New York) will also focus on Japanese craft - specifically, Japanese bamboo baskets made by great masters of Japanese bamboo art, including Iizuka Rōkansai, Tanabe Chikuunsai, and Maeda Chikubōsai. Masterpieces from the first half of the 20th century, regarded as the Golden Age of Japanese basketry, through contemporary works by the current bamboo masters will be shown. The baskets will be complemented by Japanese ceramics from the 15th-21st centuries, Japanese gold lacquer boxes from the 20th century, and an exceptional pair of Japanese folding screens.
DESIGN AT LARGE.
Design Miami brings its Design at Large program to Basel - installing a selection of three large-scale works of design that infuse the fair’s programming with moments of ambitious sculpture and conceptual and industrial innovation. Galerie SCENE OUVERTE (Paris) presents Rino Claessens’ Modular bench (2023): formed of 28 glazed ceramic modules, offering 14 seats in a curving, abstract formation. The connected pieces - brushed and sponged in a richly textured, deep blue - can be dismantled and rebuilt. Claessens’ experimental ceramic work is inspired by a trip to Arita, Japan, known as the ‘cradle of porcelain firing’. The modular system underlying the bench allows for its scale, offering the freedom to create furniture for which the ceramic kiln is no longer a size limit. The resulting work is as transformative as it is solid. Moving away from the physical and into the digital, multidisciplinary creative Marie Piselli (Paris) presents her debut digital work, OUI CLOCK | AURORA (2024) - a powerful visual spectacle offering an alternative approach to time, measured not in quantitative hours, minutes or seconds, but rather via a qualitative measure that sees units of time based around moments shared, and moments alone, designed as a reminder of the importance of shared experiences and emotions. Looking to the past century, a collaborative Design at Large presentation comes from Ketabi Bourdet x LAFFANOUR (Paris), offering an historic moment within the program. Together, they will offer a presentation of Robert Wilson’s Hamletmachine table and chairs, designed for the premiere of the eponymous play staged at NYU Theater in New York in 1986. Wilson is a celebrated director and visual artist, whose stage furniture plays an integral role in the total effect of his plays. The Hamletmachine table and chairs are impactful in their dramatic minimalism.
NOTES TO EDITORS
DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL Galleries
Angela Weber Möbel (Zurich)
Friedman Benda (New York/Los Angeles)
Galerie Downtown-LAFFANOUR (Paris)
Galerie Eric Philippe (Paris)
Galerie Eva Presenhuber (Zurich)
Galerie Gastou (Paris)
Galerie kreo (Paris)
Galerie Meubles et Lumières (Paris)
Galerie Mitterrand (Paris)
Galerie Patrick Seguin (Paris)
Galerie SCENE OUVERTE (Paris)
Ketabi Bourdet Design (Paris)
Lebreton (Monaco)
MAXIME FLATRY (Paris)
Objects with Narratives (Brussels)
Pierre Marie Giraud (Brussels)
Thomas Fritsch-ARTRIUM (Paris)
Thomsen Gallery (New York)
DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL Curios
193 Gallery (Paris)
Craft x Tech (Tokyo)
downtown+ (Paris)
Karry Berreby (Paris)
Mameluca (Lisbon)
Nick Thomm (Melbourne/Los Angeles)
Nolwa Studio (Hyderabad)
Pulp Galerie (Paris)
Spazio Nobile (Brussels)
DESIGN MIAMI.BASEL Design at Large
Ketabi Bourdet x downtown+ (Paris)
Marie Piselli (Paris)
Galerie SCENE OUVERTE (Paris)
SPECIAL PROJECT
Friedman Benda (New York/LA), Pulp Galerie (Paris), and downtown+ (Paris) honor late design icon, Gaetano Pesce
SATELLITE PROJECT
Do you read me? (Berlin)
Visiting the Fair
Tickets to the fair will be available for purchase from May 20, 2024 HERE.
About Design MiamiDesign Miami connects the world through extraordinary collectible design, with live fairs that bring together galleries, designers, brands, experts, collectors, and enthusiasts. Each edition of Design Miami features museum-quality 20th and 21st century furniture, lighting, and objets d’art from the world’s top, expertly vetted galleries, in addition to showcasing immersive design collaborations with celebrated brands. Design Miami’s flagship fairs take place alongside Art Basel in Miami, Florida, each December, in Basel, Switzerland, each June, in Paris, France, each October in conjunction with Paris+ par Art Basel, and now, in Los Angeles this May 16 - 20, 2024. Design Miami is also accessible 365-days a year through designmiami.com, a content-rich digital marketplace featuring works from leading galleries and original editorial and video content on Forum Magazine.
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