Miami Art Week. A Curated Guide To The Art Scene In Miami
Design Miami in Pride Park, Miami Beach. Photo: James Harris
Seeking Out Personal Histories at Design Miami
The annual fair brings together the newest and most coveted names in design, and this year’s theme focuses on identity, heritage and community
With art and design enthusiasts flocking to South Florida this December for Miami Art Week, dealers are preparing to bring their freshest objects and artworks to events across the city. But Design Miami (December 5–10), returning for its 19th year and located in a tent in Pride Park, just across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center, remains the best opportunity to view and collect the top names and rising stars in the field.
This year, the fair’s curatorial director, Anna Carnick, has chosen the theme “Where We Stand,” focusing on how design engages with global issues. More than 40 exhibitors have responded by bringing objects and projects that celebrate ideas of place, community, heritage, and the power of shared roots and interconnectivity. Here are the top five stands to look out for at Design Miami 2023.
The Future Perfect, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
Chris Wolston, Earthly Delight Vessel 4, 2023, bronze. Photo: David Sierra and Radha Leon, courtesy: the artist and The Future Perfect
With locations in architecturally stunning homes in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, The Future Perfect is known for supporting cutting edge and visually stunning designs. This year, it’s showcasing a range of objects, such as elegant lamps made with stone by duo Chen Chen and Kai Williams and a Minimalist, geometric chandelier in painted brass and powder-coated aluminum by Karl Zahn. Joining these are bronze vases by Chris Wolston that celebrate the flora and fauna of Colombia, drawing attention to the importance of natural resources to the country’s culture, economy, and ecology.
Friedman Benda, New York and Los Angeles
Frida Escobedo, Creek Chair, 2022. Photo: Timothy Doyon, courtesy: Friedman Benda and Frida Escobedo
New York- and Los Angeles-based veteran gallery Friedman Benda is presenting an international array of designers whose aesthetics find a common language. Among them are Jerusalem-born, Paris-based Raphael Navot, whose curvilinear silk, cashmere, and oak couch is paired with a stainless steel chair covered in a draping nickel ball chain by Mexico’s Frida Escobedo. Both complement the smooth curves of British designer Faye Toogood’s marble tables. And a vibrant selection of vases by the Modernist Italian designer Ettore Sottsass stand alongside a mirror by contemporary American designer and sculptor Misha Kahn, reflecting their shared passion for color.
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