The design mecca on the other side of the Atlantic once again summoned the cream of the discipline. Let’s take a look at the four galleries and designers who caught our eye at this year’s event.
©Timothy Doyon
Kengo Kuma for Aman Interiors
The Migumi collection, the result of a collaboration between Kengo Kuma and Aman Interiors, was designed to capture “the essence and interaction of sunlight and wood”. Both the chair and table feature a wooden structure inspired by the Japanese concept of “Kigumi”. With this technique, the various elements are associated with each other, thanks to the carving of wooden joints, which connect and support each other transparently, requiring no nails or other fixings. Blending Japanese manufacturing traditions with a contemporary, experimental approach, Migumi is made by expert craftsmen in Higashikawa and is intended as a daily reminder of our deep ties with our environment.
Frida Escobedo at Friedman Benda
After setting up her eponymous studio in Mexico City in 2006, architect Frida Escobedo gained a reputation for a string of high-quality projects, but also in 2018, after signing the architectural pavilion for the annual Serpentine Gallery in London’s Kensington Gardens, becoming the youngest architect at that date to undertake the project. More recently, she was chosen to design the new modern and contemporary wing of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, again becoming the youngest and first woman to design a building for the institution. The Mexican architect took advantage of this major design event on the other side of the Atlantic to present a variation on the “Creek Bench”, the “Creek Chair”, a splendidly light piece composed of a stainless steel structure, covered with nickel chains.
Atelier Ecru Gallery
A gallery dedicated to contemporary, brutalist and modern art, design and furniture, while showcasing Belgian and international artists, Atelier Ecru Gallery opened its doors in 2017 in Ghent. Offering both sculpture and furniture, as well as paintings and installations, its team has a taste for pushing the boundaries of traditional design and art. While at Design Miami, the gallery showcased the singular work of Pierre De Valck, with his bow-shaped console adorned with lapis lazuli.
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Joyce Lin at R and Company
Another must-see at Design Miami was the R and Company Gallery, which presented American designer Joyce Lin’s very curious “Exploded Chair”. This chair is made up of transparent plastic containers containing the various wooden components required to build a traditional chair. The parts are disconnected from each other, and move when the chair is moved. A disconcerting piece.
©Photography courtesy of R & Company
États-Unis – Miami