Design Miami Opens With The Best Of Classic and Contemporary - Review

Design Miami in its eight edition opened last night with an impressive roster of 29 international participants in the gallery program and 7 emerging galleries as part of the Design On/Site program. One of the more interesting booths was mounted by Didier Ltd who put on a special featured exhibition of sculptural jewellery created by woman artists Included Louise Nevelson and Bourgeois as well as other big names. The fair was spectacular this year, objects of note were a fascinating light titled Front, which produced bubbles. It was created by BOOO Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Carpenters Workshop also outstaning created organic formed furniture with a sublime tactile approach and Mark Mcdonnald who had prototype Eames furniture a treat.

Key themes from this year’s fair include: • Nature Inspirations: Jason Jacques (presenting Art Nouveau glass and ceramic), R 20th Century (bronze and ceramic candlesticks by David Wiseman), Galerie BSL (nature inspired work by Noë Duchaufour-Lawrence and Taher Chemirik), Cristina Grajales Inc (Walking Bench by Pedro Barrail), Priveekollektie (light installations by Dominic Wilcox) and Galerie VIVID (new unique vases by Glithero). • American Design: a strong roster of historic and contemporary design made by US designers. Mark McDonald (homage to the Eames House), Moderne Gallery (work by California Modern masters Nakashim and Wharton Esherick), R 20th Century (work by Wendell Castle, godfather of the American studio furniture movement), Volume Gallery (a solo show by Snarkitecture). • Italian Design: Nilufar (presenting selected work by Michelangelo Pistoletto), Rossella Colombari (with pieces from the most important Italian designers of the twentieth century such as Gio’ Ponti, Carlo Mollino, Ico Parisi, Ettore Sottsass and Andrea Branzi), first-time participant Erastudio Apartment-Gallery (a solo show by Gaetano Pesce) and Antonella Villanova (with hand crafted jewellery by Delfina Delettrez). • Innovation in glass work: novel ways of expression and experimentation in the ancient medium glass at Pierre Marie Giraud (with work by Ritsue Mishima), Venice Projects (with Pieke Bergmans) and Victor Hunt (presenting a solo show of work by Sylvain Willenz). • Statement jewelry by women: sculptural works by female jewelry artists. Didier Ltd will present a strong selection of work by female artists such as Louise Nevelson, Louise Bourgeois and Janine Antoni. Antonella Villanova will present a solo-exhibition of work by Delfina Delletrez including new commissioned pieces and private early works. Ornamentum will premiere Swiss designer Johanna Dahm’s project ‘William Tell’s Shot’, a presentation of rings created by shooting through silver and gold bars or coins with a machine gun.