Highlights from Design Miami 2007

We often see the line between art and design blurred, but never more obviously than in Miami in December. Design Miami/ has been riding the coattails of Art Basel Miami Beach since its inception in 2005, but every year the two shows become more difficult to distinguish: Limited-edition objects mix with one-of-a-kinds, and multi-media presentations abound. The 2007 shows promise to be a groundbreaking week for creative professionals worldwide. Here are some highlights:

• Kartell explores the fine art world with Love Affair, an exhibition of works by photographers The Hilton Brothers(Christopher Makos and Paul Solberg). Makos is known for his portraits of Andy Warhol from 1981, and in this show they are paired with “portraits” of flowers taken by Solberg. The Kartell store hosts the exhibition, exemplifying the new Miami style of art and design in collaboration.
Kartell Store, 170 NE 40th Street, Miami

• Swarovski continues touring its Crystal Palace, this time welcoming Diller Scofidio + Renfro to reinvent the chandelier. The architecture firm designed Light Sock, in which a single halogen bulb is refracted through a mass of crystals suspended in a long net. The chandelier is available through Moss and Luminaire retailers.
Moore Building, NE 2nd Avenue and 40th Street, Miami

• The Miami Art Museum unveils the design concept for their expansion, which will break ground in 2008. The project was designed by celebrated architects Herzog & de Meuron (most recently working on the expansion of the Tate Modern in London and the deYoung in San Francisco). The exhibition reveals the step-by-step development of the design and include floor plans, diagrams, models, and multimedia presentations detailing Herzog & de Meuron’s creative process. Herzog discusses the exhibition and plans on Friday, December 7th at the Colony Theater, 8:30 p.m.
Miami Art Museum, 101 West Flagler Street, Miami

• At the Poltrona Frau Gallery, Mundus Vivendi, a collective of 15 Italian designers, present Interior Design, an exhibition exploring the relationship between objects and nature.
Poltrona Frau Gallery, 10 NE 39th Street, Miami

• Artek brings Shigeru Ban’s Artek Pavilion from Helsinki, where it has been since September, to Miami. The nomadic structure will be re-assembled at the Palm Lot and open to the public December 7–9. Inside the Pavilion, Artek shows “2nd Cycle” Aalto chairs the company found at flea markets and estate sales. The vintage pieces, outfitted with computer chips that can be read by a cell phone, are for sale. The chip will include information about the origins and life cycle of the furniture.
Artek Pavilion, Palm Lot, 140 NE 39th Street, Miami

• This year Cartier is an associate sponsor of Art Basel Miami Beach. The glittering Cartier Dome inside the Miami Botanical Garden houses their jewelry displays. Cartier also sponsors the Art Guest Lounge, designed by Jean Nouvel.
Miami Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Drive, Miami
Art Guest Lounge, Miami Beach Convention Center, Convention Center Drive, Miami

• The Friedman Benda Gallery has created a historical show featuring works from the late 1960’s through the early ’80s by Castle, Arad, Sottsass, and others. This museum-style show will not be selling the displayed pieces. Coveting, however, is allowed.
Moore Building, NE 2nd Avenue and 40th Street, Miami

• SITU Studio’s Solar Pavilion 2 is a deployable, eco-friendly structure that had previously been assembled in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Pavilion houses an art project by Matthew McGuiness called Rudolf: A Salutary Pipline, which is about alternative fuels and nomadic vessels.
SCOPE Miami, Roberto Clemente Park, 101 NW 34th Street, Wynwood Art District, Miami

• Moss mounts two exhibits for Design Miami. The first is Robber Baron, featuring five bronze objects created by Studio Job and renowned for their craftsmanship. Moss’ second show is Heavy Metal, a landscape of commissioned pieces by Maarten Baas, Tom Dixon, Arik Levy, and others, all made of various metals. Moore Building, NE 2nd Avenue and 40th Street, Miami

• Highlights from Droog’s collection are on sale at 4141 Design, including the “Push and Store” cabinet by Chung-Tang Ito and the famous “Chest of Drawers Number 100” by Tejo Remy, featuring a unique drawer by Ted Noten for Droog.
4141 Design, 4141 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami

• The GlassLAB, sponsored by Corning Museum of Glass and Vitra Design Museum, brings glassmakers and designers together in a mobile hot glass studio. Constantin and Laurene Boym, the Campana Brothers, and others will participate.
Oak Plaza, 163 NE 39th Street, Miami

• Luminaire and Yves Behar have organized a charity auction to fund One Laptop Per Child, a project to provide children of the developing world their own XO laptop (designed by Behar to cost only $100). Seven visual artists, including Cindy Sherman, Richard Tuttle, and Olafur Eliasson, used the laptop as inspiration for pieces you can bid on at www.luminaire.com/olpc.
Luminaire Lab, 3901 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami

• Design Miami/ has organized three free discussions during the show:

Friday, December 7 / 5:30-6:30 PM
The Human Element: How Are Designers Preserving Soul in the 21st Century?
With Matali Crasset, Enzo Enea, Marcus Fairs, Chad Oppenheim, Stefan Sielaff

Saturday, December 8 / 5:30-6:30 PM
Collecting Design: What are the strategies of major collectors and how do the art and design markets relate?
With Marc Benda, Sheldon LaPierre, Craig Robbins, Kenny Schachter, Lauren A.E. Schuker, Richard Wright

Sunday, December 9 / 5:30-6:30 PM
Material Innovators: How are cutting-edge designers harnessing the power of materials?
With George Beylerian, Ross Lovegrove, Greg Lynn, Zoe Ryan, Tokujin Yosioka

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Design Miami/ is December 7–9 inside the Moore Building, a former warehouse in the Design District: NE 2nd Avenue and 40th Street, Miami.

Visit Design Miami/’s site for more information.