From migrating elephants to a divisive Jaguar, was this the best Design Miami yet?

One hundred migrating elephants, a highly divisive Jaguar, a swirly Pucci funfair and a gigantic blue strawberry tree. Not an artworld version of the 12 Days of Christmas but a strong way to kick off December nonetheless. The city-wide takeover that is Miami Art Week did not disappoint this year, with big brands, brazen activations and an expanded global footprint. At its heart, in its spacious tent by the Convention Centre and Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami 2024 put on one of its best shows since its launch almost two decades ago.

What went on at Design Miami 2024: our review

Under curator Glenn Adamson’s curatorial theme, Blue Sky, for 2024 the collectable design fair was a celebration of big thinking and optimism. The signature yellow branding turned sky blue, and through a programme of galleries, curios, special projects and collaborations, it offered an energising, experimental and highly investible proposition.

Certainly, we’ve reached a point where the lines between art, design and fashion are now so blurry as to be hard to make out at all. Take the aforementioned ‘The Strawberry Tree’ (by the Haas Brothers and co-presented by R & Company and Marianne Boesky) as a case in point; it is no longer enough to say a piece is ‘functional’ – previously one of Design Miami’s criteria for inclusion – although this fabulous piece is, arguably, a light.

To Adamson’s mind, the definition has evolved: 'What makes design different from fine art – or even poetry, music, other disciplines – is that designers need to not only imagine the future, but they need to build it,' he says. In some cases, then, the only function necessary is to inspire and/or delight.

This, then, means the Design Miami committee could be freer to include works such as the ‘Paradise Cabinet’, by Mathieu Lehanneur, the doors of which open to reveal no cupboard space whatsoever, but a vista of infinite blue sky instead.

'Ultimately I think it comes down to elevation,' says Adamson. 'This is a concentrated platform for the international design avant garde, which provides unparalleled visibility to people and their projects. Lehanneur’s cabinet, a magic trick in material form, is the perfect metaphor for this expansiveness.'

With much to take in across the tent, attention-grabbing exhibits included Zanotta’s characterful beanbags commissioned by Matthieu Blazy for Bottega Veneta’s October 2024 fashion show; and the ‘Galaxy’ collection, a collaboration between Gufram and A$AP Rocky's brand Hommemade with a space-age multimedia console as its centrepiece.

The truly inspiring works, however, were of a quieter kind – showstoppers due to their impeccable craftsmanship and extraordinary creative expertise. Most notably these were found at Blunk Space, with London-based designer Rio Kobayashi’s salvaged redwood shelves; at Atelier Courbet’s beautiful ‘Sculpt’ installation, a group show exploring organic forms using diverse materials and time-honoured techniques; and at The Future Perfect, where New Delhi-based artist Vikram Goyal made his US debut with his remarkable narrative-driven metalwork. Through a series of ambitious bronze reliefs, sconces, chandeliers and furniture, Goyal presents a contemporary reimagining of Indian master craftsmanship.

Also rooted in Indian craftsmanship, traditional techniques and raw materials, Mumbai-based gallery Æquo presented ‘Rub In’, a collaboration between Sudheer Rajbhar and Camille Bastien. Through his brand Chamar, Sudheer reclaims a slur against the Dalit community, empowering artisans and preserving their craft using rubber as a sustainable alternative to leather. The work highlights resilience, activism, and social justice.

Continuing around the world now to Colombia, London-based Lamb Gallery’s 'Magnetic Midnight Maison' by Lucia Echavarria brought her collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces including chairs, sofas, lamps and a backgammon board made using traditional Colombian crafting styles and techniques and showcasing the work of over 80 artisans across ten regions in Colombia.

Winning the Best In Show award, Friedman Benda’s booth also presented an exhibition that spanned geography, disciplines and generations, featuring pieces by Estúdio Campana (Brazil), Rashid Johnson (US), Ettore Sottsass (Italy), Barbora Žilinksait (Belgium), Raphael Navot (Israel / France), and Javier Senosiain (Mexico) in a vibrant display. At its centre, a furry bar cabinet by Fernando Laposse, who often works with traditional Mexican crafts, is wrapped in a layer of yarn made from agave plants.

Aiming for a 'visionary exhibit under a singular sky', Design Miami has set the bar high, with one year to go until its 20th edition – likely to be its most ambitious yet. Until then, we’ll be dreaming of a beautifully crafted, globally harmonious future, ideally from beneath the branches of a gigantic blue Strawberry Tree. See you there.

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