Design Miami 2022
Design Miami returns for its latest instalment during the city’s art week, hosting an impressive curation of contemporary furniture, art and design.
A staple in the design calendar, Design Miami returns to the city’s iconic South Beach for its 18th edition, exhibiting all things luxury in furniture art and design. Curated by Curatorial Director, Maria Cristina Didero, this year’s program explored the theme of The Golden Age: Looking to the Future, celebrating a tomorrow of our own creation. Take a look below at some personal highlights and favourite designs from the fair.
AGO Projects
Not one to shy away from the bold and the beautiful, AGO Projects injected vibrancy into this year’s fair with an eye-catching stand. Not only is it unusual to see tilework used in the construction of a booth, but it is also art itself, an installation by Fabien Cappello. Additional works by Cappello exhibited include the mosaic coffee tables and sculptural table lamps. Personal favourites and works of note include the sofa and side tables designed by Ryan Belli and the ‘cheeky’ kitten ceramic artwork designed by The Haas Brothers and produced by Ceramica Suro.
Sarah Myerscough Gallery
One of the most creative and tactile when it comes to showcasing its collection of artists and designers, Sarah Myerscough Gallery impressed yet again, offering something a little different to their usual presentation, opting for a light, fresh and natural colour palette, the presentation titled ‘Material Shores’, effortlessly connecting with the personality and charm of Miami. Works of note include the mesmerising natural fibre chandelier designed by Angela Damman, beautifully paired with the ‘Skipping Stone’ dining table by Christopher Kurtz. A talking point attracting many people to the stand was the ‘Blonde Drinks Cabinet’ seen in the second photo, also designed by Kurtz, catching attention with its mystic, flowing form.
Room 57 Gallery
Room 57 Gallery’s vibrant red booth showcased ceramic works by Roxanne Jackson and hand-carved furniture by Brecht Wright Gander. It was refreshing to see a gallery limit the works and creators on display to create a beautiful and complementary curation that highlights the qualities and skills of each individual. A favourite was the blue cabinet made by Gander on the back wall; its unique, off-centre form and fluid stand blurred the boundaries between functional and sculptural design.
Galerie BSL
Presenting an almost alien world of unfamiliar shapes and fascinating textures, Galerie BSL creates an air of mystery with beautiful references to nature with their curation of sculpture and furniture designs. Pia Maria Raeder’s tactile ‘Sea Anemone’ rodded sculptures introduce a subtle colour palette of earthy hues, while Taher Chemirik’s ‘White Lava’ lamps bridge a gap between natural form, sculpture, and lighting design.
Gallery ALL
It was impossible to miss Gallery ALL’s presentation of The Haas Brothers’ work. Set against a rich purple backdrop, the stand's theme was ‘The Golden Age: Looking to the Future’, where the latest pieces of Grippy Ghost and Zoidberg, including the first-ever tapestries exhibited in a spectacular, whimsical display. Each furniture design takes on a mythical persona, with the legs of the works appearing to have literal feet yet still appearing in recognisable furniture forms.
Aqua Creations
One of the many highlights from this year’s fair was the discovery of Aqua Creations and their mesmerising lighting creations. The gallery showcased their ‘The Lakes’ collection, designed by Albi Serfaty to highlight the dire state of freshwater lakes around the world. Each lighting shade is handmade and uses coloured silk; the gathering beautifully adjusts the strength of the light that shines through.
Mindy Solomon Gallery
Fascinating ceramic works by Linda Lopez and Virginia Leonard were just a few of the highlights on display at the Mindy Solomon Gallery stand. In Lopez’s work, the artist resists acknowledging that the objects inhabiting our lives are inanimate. By considering the objects’ needs and denying our needs for those objects, they can expose a life and language of their own. Leonard’s works include abstract self-portraits; large-scale ceramic sculptures representing her body. The form is coiled, precarious, and threatening to fall over at any given moment, an intentional gesture that evokes the fragility of the body becoming undone.
MONIOMI Design
Altis Ornamentum was a beautiful installation and expertly curated show space that exhibited the bespoke works of interior design studio MONIOMI Design. The custom collection of furniture and accessories draws inspiration from and provides a contemporary take on ancient Greece and the sport of fashion. The pieces bend the rules, applying luxurious materials in soft colour palettes to sporting equipment, including basketball hoops and table tennis tables, with spectacular results.
Twenty First Gallery
New York-based Twenty First Gallery impressed visitors with the power of powder pink, showcasing contemporary artworks, furniture, and lighting from their impressive portfolio of artists and designers. Stand-out works included the ‘Snake Mirror’ by Nathalie Ziegler Pasqua with its mesmerising glass scales and the ‘Silver Mirror’ by François Corbeau, creating a mirror, sculpture, and artwork all in one piece. The pair of yellow amphoras also attracted attention with their vibrant colourway, a contemporary finish to a traditional design.