In collaboration with Art Basel, Design Miami Basel (June 13-18) is back on the ground floor of Messeplatz in Basel, Switzerland. The 17th edition features 26 international galleries – up from 34 last year – specializing in collectible and historical design, ranging from furniture and lighting to jewelery and art objects.
The scaled-down fair has a noticeable Gallic accent, featuring several Parisian galleries and many top French design talents. On June 12, Design Miami confirmed that it would finally launch a Parisian edition in October 2023, increasing its annual presence in Miami and Basel, and coinciding with Art Basel’s Paris+ art fair. While unexpected, the news wasn’t exactly surprising in light of last year’s efforts to launch a French edition scuttled for “security reasons.”
The Hotel de Maisons, Paris. Photo: Fabrice Gousset. Courtesy of Design Miami.
Artnet News spoke with Design Miami CEO Jen Roberts, who said that since many Design Miami Basel exhibitors are already from France, the renewed interest in Paris is a “natural” development. “It is a commitment for the city of Paris, which is already the capital of collectible design and home to many of the most important design galleries in the world,” she said, explaining that the decision was made after lengthy negotiations. with and the full support of the French local government, including the mayor’s office.
Roberts said the next Parisian presence, which will not affect its sister fairs, will consist of activations and pop-ups around Saint Germain-des-Prés in the 6th arrondissement, on the Left Bank, in addition to the usual gallery stands inside the Hôtel de Maisons. The 18th century mansion was previously home to Karl Lagerfeld and several generations of the Pozzo di Borgo political family.
While Roberts wouldn’t comment on the specific exhibitors who have signed up so far, she said it would be a “robust program” for up to 25 exhibitors. In the meantime, hHere are some of the stars of Design Miami in Basel.
Patrick Seguin Gallery
Paris
Jean Prouve, To quote chair (1932). Courtesy of Galerie Patrick Seguin.
Since its creation in 1989, Seguin has played an important role in highlighting French designers, in particular Jean Prouvé. For Design Miami Basel, the gallery presents an array of pieces by the French designer – who called himself a “factory man” for his practical, machined aesthetic – starting with a selection of chairs demonstrating his pragmatic ideals. The most remarkable of these is its solid oak To quote chairdesigned in 1930 for a student residence at the Cité Universitaire in Nancy, France.
Aware of the limits of woodworking and keen to embrace modernity, especially mass production, Prouvé quickly moved on to steel and aluminum. A selection of three aluminum pieces – a table, a cabinet and a sideboard – from his training period in Cameroon in the 1960s are also on display. Prouvé was invited by the government of Cameroon to design a school in the capital Yaoundé. He created a large, pre-engineered metal building that is still in use today, establishing his reputation as a designer capable of creating functional and affordable buildings all over the world.
Friedman Benda
new York
Left: Wendell Castle, Squid chair with table (1966). Right: Daniel Arsham, Shanghai chair (2019). Courtesy of Friedman Benda.
New York’s Friedman Benda Gallery highlights the impact of history on today’s masters with ‘Iconoclasts and Icons’, an exhibition of exemplary seating. Artisans include Shiro Kuramata, Andrea Branzi and Ettore Sottsass, as well as more contemporary practitioners like Daniel Arsham, Ron Arad, Paul Cocksedge, Joris Laarman, Samuel Ross, Nendo and Faye Toogood.
“‘Iconoclasts and Icons’ seeks to represent the chaos of contemporary design,” said gallerist Marc Benda, “by distilling the explosive creative forces unleashed by the endless possibilities in our field.”
A The highlight of the group is Wendell Castle, the American sculptor and furniture maker who is often among the “Big 4” of modern woodworking, alongside Wharton Esherick, George Nakashima and Sam Maloof. Castle was particularly gifted in the use of pile lamination, a technique of gluing and sanding thin sheets of wood to create a solid three-dimensional form, which makes his furniture whimsical and playful, yet also artful and sophisticated.
He was inspired by organic forms found in nature. Her Squid chair with table (1966) is a sculptural piece of furniture with sinuous appendages in solid cherry. The chair is supported by four tentacle-shaped legs, with a seat that suggests the head of a squid. It’s a classic example of Castle’s affinity for strong yet lightweight furniture with intricate curves.
Modern Movements
Paris
Andrea Branzi, Human Porcelain Louis XXI (2010). Courtesy of Gérard Jonca and Sèvres Cité de la Céramique.
Housed in a former printing works in the Marais district of Paris, Mouvements Modernes was founded in 2002 by Pierre Staudenmeyer. The design theorist also founded the space’s precursor, the legendary Néotù gallery, which paved the way for collectible design in the 80s and 90s.
These years are the theme of this stand at Design Miami Basel, in particular the work of Garouste & Bonetti. THE designer duo (Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti, who worked from 1981 to 2001) was known for his eclectic and whimsical approach to furniture and objects, characterized by bright colors, unexpected materials and playful shapes.
Garouste and Bonetti’s work – which spanned furniture, lighting, rugs and ceramics – was often described as “postmodern” or “neo-romantic”. They rejected the prevailing minimalist aesthetic of the time and instead adopted a more expressive approach inspired by history and mythology. Mouvements Modernes contributed several objects by Garouste & Bonetti in Basel, including a rainbow-colored console table and a pair of tripods from their first Barbarian collection from 1981.
A unique collection of Sèvres porcelain designed by Italian architect, designer and theoretician Andrea Branzi is also on display. He is considered one of the pioneers of radical Italian design and his work is characterized by its experimental nature.
Thomsen Gallery
new York
Japanese basketry. Courtesy of Thomsen Gallery.
For its fourth appearance at Design Miami Basel, the Thomsen Gallery in New York, founded by Erik Thomsen, a Japanese art dealer of Danish origin, offers a glimpse of ikebana bamboo baskets by Japanese masters of the early 20th century, considered the golden age of Japanese basketry. In addition to these woven works, the gallery brought modern Japanese bronze vessels, gold lacquer boxes and contemporary porcelain vessels by Sueharu Fukami.
Irthi Contemporary Craft Council
United Arab Emirates
Safeefah food blankets by Reem Saif Almazrouei. Courtesy of Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council.
Sharjah’s Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council is making its debut at Design Miami Basel this year alongside commercial galleries. The UAE-based group strives to empower local artisans who practice traditional Emirati craftsmanship, ensuring the preservation of indigenous artisanal heritage for future generations. Specifically, through extensive gastronomic research, Reem Saif Almazrouei has created a collection of Emirati-inspired tableware created in a range of weaving techniques – a welcome departure from strict modernism with European influence.
Additionally, Ghaya Bin Mesmar presents a collection of chairs created from an exploration of weaving techniques, dyes and palm-based materials. This collection is the second iteration of her chair collection, created in collaboration with Laura Blasco, Juanmi Juárez and Alex Estévez of Barcelona-based Mermelada Estudio.
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