ASEL.- With over 40 gallery presentations set to be showcased at Design Miami/ Basel in September (21-26) the upcoming edition of the fair will present a wealth of historical and contemporary works, from rare masterpieces to new works that examine our relationships with the world around us. For the first time, each of the pieces will be available to view and shop online at www.designmiami.com while also displayed on the show floor of the Messeplatz.

“This year’s presentations really offer an insightful snapshot of the current design market - from incredible works by icons from Prouvé, Lalanne, and Picasso, through to contemporary masterpieces such as Misha Kahn and Daniel and Boris Berlin. As we look forward to welcoming people back to Basel to experience these works and meet with the experts, we’re also excited to debut for the first time in Basel our online shopping and viewing experience, where all pieces on the showfloor will be available to view and shop online in real time,” Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Design Miami/.

Within the rich array of materials, some themes to be found include:

HUMAN NATURE

Many of the gallerists, designers and partners are responding to HUMAN NATURE, this year’s Design Miami/ Basel curatorial theme exploring the evolving relationship between humans, nature--and human nature. In the downstairs hall, Design Miami/ and Superblue present the largest installation of DRIFT’s Shylights, the multi-sensory work inspired by the movement of plants as they respond to the sun and the moon - a process known as ‘nyctinasty’. As well as the immersive design experience, to be augmented by an interactive component, the space will play host to a series of programs during the week of the fair, from meditation sessions to modern dance performances. French designer Mathieu Lehanneur joins this year’s Design at Large program with a new work entitled State Of The World, a snapshot of our world today using demographic data provided by the United Nations and illustrated by an assemblage of anodized aluminum sculptures derived from three dimensional population pyramids of different countries. At Galerie Mitterrand, also part of the 2021 Design at Large program, Austrian artist Peter Kogler will present a new set of high and low tables in different sizes. The glass tables are silk screened with images that explore a world increasingly governed by the flow of information and electronic communications and connect to the physical experience of placelessness and disorientation felt by many.

Design Miami/ Basel’s Curatorial Director, Aric Chen said: “HUMAN NATURE asks how we might rethink the relationship between humans, nature, and human nature. The question of sustainability and planetary survival is not simply technical, but also cognitive, cultural and philosophical. As it becomes increasingly clear that human-centric worldviews and approaches are no longer tenable, we want to explore how design offers possibilities for reimagining our relationship with non-human beings and intelligences in more viable ways.”

FOUND OBJECTS

At Antwerp’s Everyday Gallery, new work by Lionel Jadot is collaged from an eclectic assortment of found objects collected from around the world. Not employing any sketches or plans, Jadot instead puts his work together using a process only known by the artist, with the pieces assembled in the playful cadavre exquis working method. Atelier Van Asseldonk’s Blackhole Mirror at Gallery SCENE OUVERTE cobbles together a miscellany of exuberant objects through an approach based on techniques of collage and powered by DIY artisan techniques. The designers see themselves as contemporary craftsmen or rather ‘engineers of the future.’




JAPANESE DESIGN

With so much attention turned towards Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it is unsurprising to also see a strong representation of Japanese design and craft at Design Miami/ Basel. New York-based dealer Erik Thomsen returns to Basel with another exquisite showcase of traditional Japanese basketry, complemented by Japanese ceramic jars from the 15th-17th centuries; Japanese gold lacquer boxes from the 20th-21st centuries; and Japanese folding screens. Gallery Japonesque debuts for the first time in the Curio program with work by acclaimed contemporary artisan Masatoshi Izumi and glass pieces by Akihiro Isogai. Experts in Japanese crafts, Brussels gallery Pierre Marie Giraud will bring a selection of exquisite decorative pieces to Basel including new work by self-taught ceramicist Kazunori Hamana. Based in Isumi, Hamana spends his time working as both a craftsperson and a fisherman. His artworks take inspiration from once-inhabited shells that look as if they have been washed smooth by the sea and often feature engravings and scratches that reflect the seaside environments of Hamana’s home. Carpenters Workshop Gallery will capture the serenity and spirituality of a traditional Japanese garden, viewed through a contemporary lens with an exhibition called Curating Nature. The artworks shown all demonstrate the beauty of harmonious composition, with the wild nature of their materials tamed by expert processes. None is more carefully considered than Aldo Bakker’s Console/Green Table Urushi, the long form of which suggests a path through disorder to enlightenment. Central to Japanese garden curation is visually acknowledging the flow of time, shown in Bakker’s use of Japanese urushi lacquer, the pigmented layers of which grow only more vivid as they age.

HIGH MODERNISM REDUX

The lasting legacy of 20th century modernism makes another strong showing, whether through new pieces referencing brutalist works from the past or forward thinking ideas from the 1960s that have endured the test of time. At Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Rick Owens has collaborated with his life partner and artist Michele Lamy to develop a monochromatic, monolithic furniture and large-scale sculptural work for Design at Large that draws a connection between brutalist architecture, minimalism, and modernism. Shanghai-based Objective Gallery debuts in Basel with two new collections of work by Chinese designer Chen Furong. Included in the showcase is the sculptural Chaise lounge from Furong's Weight of Shadow collection which embodies the designer’s vision to create pieces that reference past generations and cultures while creating understated designs with longevity. Another monumental work joining the Design at Large program will be the Jean Prouvé Gas Station presented by Laffanour - Galerie Downtown. Following studies carried out by Prouvé with the CIMT (Compagnie Industrielle de Matériel de Transport) in 1958, this demountable petrol station model demonstrated some of the architect’s most innovative principles including the inclusion of a central core structure and circular building design, considered quite radical in its time.

JEWELLERY

Hemmerle, the fourth generation family-run jeweller from Munich, debuts at Design Miami/ with an exhibition of contemporary pieces that highlight Hemmerle’s commitment to experimentation. With only 150 pieces made by the atelier each year and some taking over 500 hours to complete, each design is a representation of Hemmerle’s workmanship and innovation. Earrings crafted from diamonds, aluminium, bronze and white gold reference the cracked earth of the American Southwest while a yellow-brown diamond is set in bronze and oxidized to reflect natural textures demonstrating how unconventional materials can be fused together to create pieces of exceptional beauty. Carpenters Workshop Gallery will debut Carpenters Workshop Jewellery (CWJ) at Design Miami/ Basel. A new division first initiated in 2019, many of the pieces on show were conceived before the pandemic and have been developed and completed during periods of lockdown and quarantine to be displayed for the first time as part of this year’s Curio program. The debut presentation will include new work by designers such as Kayo Saito, Caroline Van Hoek and Ane Christensen.

BRAZILIAN MID CENTURY

Continuing to prove its popularity amongst collectors, Brazilian mid century design will have a strong showing at Design Miami/ Basel in September. Renowned Brazilian gallery Mercado Moderno returns to Basel as a Curio to present a collection of works that demonstrate the gallery’s curatorial vision including the "slow design" of the Brazilian designer Ines Schertel. A retrospective of iconic works by Geraldo de Barros produced by Unilabor, the furniture cooperative founded in São Paulo by de Barros and friar João Batista Pereira, will be on show at SIDE Gallery. Unilabor was intended as a new social model of factory, where workers and artists came together to realise a communitarian vision for production and society. Belgian gallery Gokelaere & Robinson, specialists in the great designers of the 20th century, will present works by Brazilian modern masters such as Joaquim Tenreiro in conversation with other 20th century design icons like Alvar Aalto.

DESIGN MIAMI/ CURIOS

Curio is an exhibition platform that invites designers, architects, curators, innovators and gallerists to present total environments of objects, textures, artifacts and ideas that challenge and contextualize familiar design narratives. Curios are interspersed amongst Design Miami’s gallery program, infusing the fair with inventive snapshots of today's design landscape.