There is nothing quite like the first week in December in Miami, when the design, art and fashion crowd congregate en masse in the sunshine for Design Miami and Art Basel Miami Beach. Topped off by a colourful spectrum of exhibitions and parties around town (including our own soirée with Poltrona Frau), Design Miami closed the design year on a perfect high.
Every year, Design Miami seems to grow in size and scope. This time around the gallery count reached 28 (up 15 on last year), without compromising the fair's overall curatorial quality, and sales figures peaked at their highest yet. Following founding director Ambra Medda's lead, new director Marianne Goebl seems to be forging ahead.
Once again Design Miami continued to blur creative boundaries, with a fashion infusion coming courtesy of Fendi and its 'Craft Alchemy' exhibition, and an architectural element in the shape of the 'Genesis' pavilion by David Adjaye, named Designer of the Year.
The fair extended its geographical reach too, acquiring its first African participant in the shape of Southern Guild. The South African outfit shipped over interesting pieces by homegrown designer Gregor Jenkin.
Also among the highlights this year were Michael Young's geometric furniture and objects, presented by Stockholm's Modernity gallery, and the futuristic 'Morphing Platter 300 Series' by Dr. Haresh, made from laser-cut steel and shown by Moss New York, which proved a real crowd-pleaser.
Design Miami's tried and tested, sales-generating custom of placing 20th century 'statement' classics alongside new and experimental contemporary design continued unabated. Paris' Galerie Patrick Seguin lured visitors with pieces from Prouvé, Perriand and Corbusier. Meanwhile, Demisch Danant gallery tempted visitors to take a seat in a very Miami-esque chair by Pierre Paulin, covered in a riotous swirl of colour.
Across from South Beach, the Design District's eclectic programming remit saw a special installation of works by visionary architect Buckminster Fuller and Norman Foster, whose work has always in part been inspired by his decade-long collaboration with the self-confessed 'design scientist'. Displayed on a lawn alongside Fuller's 24' Fly's Eye Dome - recently restored by Craig Robins and the Buckminster Fuller Institute - was Lord Foster's recreation of Bucky's Dymaxion Car, the Dymaxion 4, framed by three industrial containers filled with details of the renovation processes and historical background of the famous dome and car.
Meanwhile, Craig Robins' art collection at the Dacra offices and the Luminaire Lab's 'DesignLove' exhibition bolstered an already jam-packed itinerary.
The Wallpaper* team, out in force Miami with no less than eight representatives, co-hosted a champagne-filled party with Poltrona Frau at its flagship showroom to mark the brand's Design Miami debut of its limited-edition 2011 Baccarat lighting collection, with guests partying into the night in the brand new space on Northeast Miami Court.
Our continued love affair with Brazil also saw us team up with Brazilian design brand Ornare to host a talk about the effect of the Brazilian boom on the world of design.
The streets of Miami's Design District were also buzzing with 'pop-ups' from fashion heavyweights, such as Dior, who are increasingly jumping on the back of Design Miami and Art Basel Miami Beach (more so than at the actual Basel fair) to launch collaborations with artists. Dior teamed up with Anselm Reyle, while Pringle of Scotland launched a limited edition collection by Liam Gillick. These upped the glamour stakes this year, as well as giving us an excuse to linger a little longer in this sun-soaked city.
Architect David Adjaye has been named Design Miami 2011 Designer of the Year. His commissioned piece, entitled 'Genesis', was installed at the entrance of the fair
Photograph by Getty Images
The triangular pavilion is made from a series of vertical wooden planks, some of which form an interior seating area
Photograph by Getty Images
Adjaye has created a dramatic light well, allowing light to filter into the pavilion's interior
Photograph by Getty Images
Artist Tobias Rehberger's 'Obstinate Lighthouse', a 55 ft sculpture in Miami Beach's South Pointe Park, was created in 19 shifted parts, including the playful interpretation of a beacon at its highest point, which lights up to greet visitors (rather than ships)
Photograph by J.Rodriguez
Tobias Rehberger's 'Obstinate Lighthouse' illuminated at its tip in the evening sky
Photograph by L.Bantel
Also at Miami Beach, Brancolini Grimaldi has put on a showcase of the work of photographer Miles Aldridge at restaurant and private members club Casa Tua
Entitled 'All These Women', the show, which runs until the end of March 2012, presents a selection of 22 photographs that combine Aldridge's recently-produced work with some of his iconic images
Across town at the Design District, Anselm Reyle's debut of his new accessories collection for Dior came complete with a customized Dior food truck, serving the fair-fatigued with welcome free food outside its pop-up shop in the Moore building
The Dior food truck
A welcome to Miami outside the Maison Martin Margiela store
Maison Martin Margiela produced these limited-edition nightlights for Art Basel Miami Beach
'Ikat III' by Astrid Krogh at Paris' Galerie Maria Wettergren exhibition stand at Design Miami
Stockholm's Modernity gallery's stand, featuring 'Silver Link Sculpture', 'Kaleidescope Stool', 'Money Clock' and 'Hex Side Table' by Michael Young
Photograph by Getty Images
'PSi Tower' by Michael Young at Modernity, Stockholm
The stand for South Africa's Southern Guild gallery - Design Miami's first participant from Africa - showing furniture by Gregor Jenkin Studio
Photograph by Getty Images
Moss New York's showcase of the 'Morphing Platter 300 Series', 2008-1010, by Dr. Haresh Lalvani
The Established & Sons stand, featuring the limited 'Iris' table series by Barber Osberby
Photograph by Getty Images
'PP Tube #1 by Tom Price at the Industry Gallery stand
'Cleome Elegans' cabinet, from the Collection Museum Market, by Alessandro Mendini, 1993 and 'Conchs 3' by Ronan & Ewan Bouroullec at Galerie Kreo
'Apache' table by Konstantin Gricic at Galerie Kreo
'Trans L-C 2011-02' by Bahk Jong Sun at Gallery Seomi, Seoul
'Ceramic Objects' by Jang Jin at Gallery Seomi, Seoul
Key to the Design District's remit this year was Buckminster Fuller's 'Fly's Eye Dome', part of the 'Architecting the Future: Buckminster Fuller & Norman Foster' exhibition
Lord Norman Foster's recreation of 'Bucky's Dymaxion Car', the 'Dymaxion 4'
The dome, recently restored by Craig Robins and the Buckminster Fuller Institute, makes up part of the 'Architecting the Future: Buckminster Fuller & Norman Foster' exhibition
Sketches detailing the renovation process for the 'Fly's Eye Dome' line the walls of one of the three containers in the exhibition space
Back at Design Miami, Swarovski's fourth year at the fair saw the brand team up with Erwin Redl to create an intimate meditative space within the fair. Entered through a small black curtained doorway, the futuristic 'Crystal Matrix II' features rotating kinetic modules that allow the crystals they contain to appear to be levitating, enhanced by a soundscape and changing lighting colours
Photograph by Getty Images
New York-based Cristina Grajales Gallery's stand
Photograph by Getty Images
'Dedar Roping' by Stephen Burks for Dedar Milano, at Cristina Grajales Gallery
'Memory' light and 'Rapa Chair II', new works by artist and designer Ayala Serfaty at Cristina Grajales Gallery
Jewellery necklaces from 1990 to the present by Robert Smit, at Caroline Van Hoek, a Brussels-based gallery that specialises in contemporary art jewellery and design objects that relate to adornment
'Quartz Mirrors' by Study O Portable at Caroline Van Hoek, Brussels
'Conversation Piece: On The Doorway' - a series of door handles by Beatrice Brovia and Nicolas Cheng, commissioned for Caroline Van Hoek
'Roosje Chairs' by Christien Meindertsma from her Oak Inside series, at Priveekollektie, Netherlands
New York-based Mark McDonald Gallery presented these tables by Frank Lloyd Wright, designed in 1954 for Laurent House
'Concrete Stereo' by Ron Arad, 1983, at Galerie Downtown - François Laffanour
The Galerie Downtown - François Laffanour exhibition booth, featuring works from notable 20th century masters such as Ron Arad, Ettore Sottsass, Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé
'Corbubaby' by Johanna Grawunder at Galerie Downtown - François Laffanour
Brussels-based contemporary decorative arts gallery Pierre Marie Giraud specialises in ceramics and glass. Pictured here is 'Tsukikage' by Fukumoto Fuku
A selection of pastel glazed ceramic pieces by Geert Lap at Pierre Marie Giraud
A very Miami-esque 'F582 - Ribbon Chair' by Pierre Paulin, 1966, at Demisch Danant, New York
The Galerie Patrick Seguin stand, featuring 'Panels with porthole windows' for Bouqueval House, 1949, by Jean Prouvé in the foreground
'Bookcase' by Charlotte Perriand / Ateliers Jean Prouvé, 1956 at Galerie Patrick Seguin, Paris
Carpenters Workshop Gallery this year featured work from the likes of Sebastian Brajkovic, Atelier Van Lieshout, Random International and Robert Stadler
Photograph by Getty Images
New to the gallery is this bronze light sculpture by Frederik Molenshchot, entitled 'CL-105 Anamorphosis'
Todd Merrill's exhibition booth, which this year showcased pieces from the likes of Katsuyo Aoki, Harry Bertoia, Beth Katleman and Yard Sale Project
Photograph by Getty Images
Studio Job's solo presentation at the Galerie Vivid booth. featuring 'Piece for Peace', 2010, in the foreground and five new pieces, entitled 'Containers II', in the background
'Mae West' lamps by Studio Job at Galerie Vivid, featuring from left: 'Chocolate Pot'; 'Hat'; 'Candlestick'; 'Vase' and 'Face'
'X and O' brooches by Daniel Jocz at the Ornamentum gallery stand
Table lamps by Gilbert Waltros for Heifetz; 'City Scape' end tables and 'City Scape' wall mirror by Paul Evans, at JTG/Converso Collection's exhibition stand
New York's Magen H Gallery staged a group show entitled 'The Individual and The Collective, 1920-1970', which included works by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Georges Jouve and Alain Douillard (pictured)
New York's Johnson Trading Gallery invited four designers to produce their own version of a 'gift box'. Pictured here is '12" x 12" Papertile Wallpaper 125 Sheets' by Ricky Clifton
'Granite Stack' by Max Lamb at Johnson Trading Gallery, New York
'Jail Bait Light Box' by Rafael de Cardenas, at Johnson Trading Gallery, New York
'Illuminated Sculpture', a new work created for Design Miami by Jeff Zimmerman at R 20th Century, which this year also showcased the work of Wendell Castle, Joaquim Tenreiro and David Wiseman
'Unique Owl in porcelain on bronze branch' by David Wiseman, USA, 2011 at R20th Century's stand
The Paris-based Jousse Enterprise, showing a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces
New York's Hostler Burrows re-visited 1950s Swedish design with this collection of studio vases by Berndt Friberg and David Rosen's 'Two Door Cabinet'
Back at the Design Destrict, where Beatriz Milhazes' graphically bejeweled 'Aquarium' mobile for the Cartier Foundation - composed of pearls, precious and semi-precious stones - caught our eye
Tying in with its newly expanded Luminare Lab in Miami, Luminare's 'DesignLove' exhibition - the result of a collaboration between Intramuros magaine and DuPont - involved about 100 designers creating innovative design objects in Corian
'DesignLove' at Luminare Lab
Japanese fashion designer Kentaro Osa's geometrical and three-dimensional clothing collection at Luminaire
Lights by Michael Anastassiades at Luminaire Lab
Locust Projects presented 'Cores and Cutouts', a site-specific installation by Ruben Ochoa
'Untitled (Playtime)' is artist Rirkrit Tiravanija's scaled down model of Phillip Johnson's Glass House, part of the Craig Robins collection
Inside 'Love, etc.', Maison Martin Margiela's off-site exhibition located near its Miami retail store
Nektar De Stagni and Gallery Diet invited artists and designers to make functional objects, which were displayed at the Nektar De Stagni Shop. Pictured here is Martin Oppel's tropical take on the humble office chair, entitled 'Flamingo Office'
'Chalk Wall n.1' from 'If these walls could talk' by Agustina Woodgate, part of the Spinello Site specific No.1 at the Design District. AH
The Marni store window, lined with decals of stills from 'On Marni', a video animation by multimedia artist Tellas for the brand's website
Marc Newson's eye-popping fence in the Design District
Our continued love affair with Brazil saw Wallpaper* and Brazilian design brand Ornare host a talk about the Brazilian boom effect on the world of design. Here, Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers introduces the panel members, including Editor-at-Large Henrietta Thompson
Wallpaper* also co-hosted a champagne-filled event with Poltrona Frau at its flagship Miami showroom to mark the brand's debut of its limited-edition 2011 Baccarat lighting collection at Design Miami
Guests partied into the night in the brand new space on Northeast Miami Court
The original 'Zenith Chandelier', designed by Baccarat, which the company invited the likes of Michele De Lucchi, Eriko Horiki and Philippe Starck to reinterpret
Federico Materazzi and Giulio Cappellini
Norwood Club's Art Basel Miami party at the Shore Club featured a line-up 'installation' of ripped body builders, entitled 'Bodies' by Steel Gym Miami, in the hotel's terrace pool-side area. The New York-based members' club teamed up with event producer Patrick Duffy for their 'Hit & Run' pop-up, which featured a tableau vivant curated by Jovana Stokic and a graffiti showcase by Mint&Serf
Photograph by Brett Hufziger
The cross-pollination between design, art and architecture disciplines was also seen over at Art Basel Miami Beach. Interiors editor Amy Heffernan spotted this Marc Camille Chaimowicz piece at the Overduin and Kite gallery LA stand
Another Art Basel Miami Beach find: 'Divided Times 8x7' 2011 by Darren Almond at White Cube, is a work comprising of a series of digital wall clocks, electro-mechanics, steel, vinyl, computerised electronic control system and components
Copper remnant, 2011 polished copper, by Walead Beshty, for Galerie Rodolphe Janssen at Art Basel Miami Beach
Seen at the Art Basel Miami Beach collectors' lounge, Daniel Libeskind's sculpture, entitled 'eL', is the fourth 'Masterpiece' Zumtobel has developed and produced as part of its partnerships with artists working in a wide range of disciplines. The light sculpture has special-steel surfaces polished to a mirror finish and fitted with 1,680 LED modules
A maquette for Libeskind's lighting sculpture for Zumtobe
Daniel Libeskind and his son Dr. Libeskind explain the theory behind the light sculpture, which mimics the cosmic light that fills the universe
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