Design Miami/ Basel announces Curio program for 2022 and first edition of Podium in Basel
- 17 Curio projects will be presented at the fair
- First edition of Podium exhibition in Basel curated by Maria Cristina Didero
- Further details on The Golden Age theme for Basel announced
Basel, March 17, 2022 – Alongside this year’s 30 gallery exhibitors, Design Miami/ today announces the Curio exhibitors for Basel with 17 international galleries and designers set to present surprising cabinets of curiosity that infuse the fair’s exhibition program with inventive snapshots of today’s design landscape. Design Miami/ will also introduce Podium to Basel for the first time, a selling exhibition concept curated by this year’s Curatorial Director Maria Cristina Didero around the theme of The Golden Age.
THE GOLDEN AGE: ROOTED IN THE PAST
For the first time in Basel, Design Miami/ will introduce the Podium exhibition concept – a curated selling exhibition of museum-quality works that is curated by Maria Cristina Didero in line with this year’s overarching curatorial theme, The Golden Age which for Basel will explore a historical perspective as The Golden Age: Rooted in the Past.
Curatorial Director Maria Cristina Didero said “Even during the hardest of struggles, as a society we should always focus and strive to be better. We must remember that challenges have always driven humanity forward. Human beings have come up with answers to the world’s most pressing questions, often during moments in which the very roots of our life are being tested by external forces, over which it seems we have no control. In June we will question these ideas - exploring how the perseverance, flexibility, resilience and adaptability of humanity has led us to innovation and hope. We must continue this now more than ever”.
Presented alongside the gallery booths and Curio presentations, Podium will feature an exceptional array of historical and contemporary designers including How High is the Moon by Shiro Kuramata, presented by Friedman Benda Gallery. This two-seater armchair reinterpreted the traditional upholstered sofas, visually fragile yet sturdy to the touch, How High is the Moon challenges the notion of traditional furniture typologies. Podium will also feature a poetic series of vases Sakura TRP by the Dutch Maarten Vrolijk, presented by Galerie Scène Ouverte, pushes the boundaries of traditional glass blowing giving life to a new tridimensional art language. Also part of the exhibition will be the mystical and precious jewelry pieces by Daniel Kruger, shown by Galleria Antonella Villanova, are contemporary artifacts, treasures from the present. Lastly, Carlo Mollino's exceptional bunk beds from 1955, proposed by Galleria Rossella Colombari, will welcome Design Miami/'s visitors and invite them to contemplate functional beauty. Design Miami/ Basel’s Podium exhibition will be presented in a hybrid format with all works available to purchase at designmiami.com, starting on June 14, 2022. More details and Podium exhibitors will be announced in the coming months.
CURIO PROGRAM
This year’s Curio program will feature 17 presentations that explore and push the boundaries of design and highlight new interpretations of traditional ideas. With many exhibitors joining Design Miami/ in Basel for the first time, this year’s Curios offer a unique perspective on contemporary and historic design, featuring work from around the world including new work from Ukrainian designer Victoria Yakusha, a moving exhibition by French-designer Maria Piselli that explores the current state of the world, works by Philippe Starck that tap into nature and many more.
Design Miami’s Vice President of Fairs, Grela Orihuela said “As an international platform, it has never been more important for us to offer opportunities for galleries and designers to present exciting projects that don’t necessarily fit the traditional fair mold through our Curio program. Each year we are completely blown away by the exceptional talent and unique perspectives our Curio exhibitors offer and this year is no exception”.
Some of the highlights from the Design Miami/ Basel 2022 Curio Program include:
UN/TAMED presented by FAINA
Opened in Antwerp in 2021, FAINA provides a platform for modern Ukrainian design. For Design Miami/ Basel, FAINA presents an exploration of a childhood memory by designer and FAINA founder Victoria Yakusha. The pieces reflect on the capricious and resilient character of a seemingly domesticated, yet wild at heart, creature — the goat. In line with her philosophy of live design, the primitive, archetypal themes rekindle humankind’s primal connection to earth. The goat-like benches and stools are made in FAINA‘s signature material 'ztista' — a fully sustainable blend conceived to one day return to nature. The hand-sculpted textures endow the design pieces with a living, animistic presence. A 2.5-meter tapestry, wool woven by hand on an ancient Carpathian loom, adorns the installation.
Marie Piselli
For Design Miami/ Basel, Marie Piselli will unveil an installation of five new sculptures creating a powerful emotional background to the presentation of an exceptional jewelry collection of unique and limited edition pieces. Looking at creative outlets as a tool for total freedom for expression, Piselli will present CHOC CHISEL, a 2.5 meter ash wood bench that is sculpted to look like a chisel – a symbol that can represent breaking the encysted codes in society. Also on show will be OSE – a shield designed in ash wood with Mother-of-Pearl marquetry that represents rediscovered Peace, the symphony of the new world after the attack of viruses and wars. These pieces provide a moving backdrop for a poetic collection of jewellery made of porcelain and precious metals that reflect the designers Parisian lifestyle and also express the emotions of 21st century life crushed by wars, terrorism, refugee crisis and the imminent ecological crisis mankind is facing.
L’espirit de la Forêt presented by Paul Bourdet Fine Furniture
Paul Bourdet Fine Furniture will present a collection of pieces by Philippe Starck inspired by the forest and designed between 1989 and 1995. On show will be a selection of works designed by Starck for both 3 Suisses and Driade including a collection of three pieces that were designed in collaboration with Starck, Les 3 Suisses and ONF (the GNO running French forests) that uses raw birch trunks as stretchers. Also included in a series of 6 wooden chairs for Driade designed in 1989 that are surrealist interpretations of traditional rustic chair typography.
Altar of Imagination by Kiki van Eikk presented by Rademakers Gallery
Presenting the work of one of the most accomplished Dutch designers, Kiki van Eijk, Rademakers Gallery presents Altar of Imagination. Showcasing van Eijk’s whimsical world that is also exemplified by rigorous attention to the process and skillful craftsmanship, the collection presented will mix recognisable elements in unusual combinations with materials including mirror, stoneware and bespoke textiles.
Galerie MICA x LAB
Galerie MICA x LAB presents a space for relaxation and contemplation built around the sound chaise lounge of Pierre Charrié. The exhibition will include a new artistic project that brings together a designer, a blacksmith, a cabinetmaker, a turner and a technical stage. From this know-how a new collection was born, including "Sonogonos": a unique and sonorous lounge chair. Its sleek and comfortable lines have been designed in close collaboration with an ergonomist and adapt to each morphology. Also on show will be work by Matali Crasset, Tejo Remy, Pierre Charrié, Vincent Menu, Sam Baron, Studio Briand & Berthereau, Isabelle Daëron, Odile Decq, Philippe Million, Florence Doléac, David Énon, and Charlotte Juillard.
We+
Founded by Toshiya Hayashi and Hokuto Ando in 2013, We+ is a contemporary design studio that gives form to new perspectives and values through unique production methods and means of expression, developed on the basis of extensive research and experimentation. For Design Miami/ Basel they will present new work produced using electrical copper wires that cover the skies over Tokyo. The overall length of Tokyo's electric wires is also said to be 2,400 km, through this work We+ looks at the origins of the relationship between humans and materials, using indigenous materials and simple manufacturing methods, we attempt to reconstruct a new perspective on how we interact with materials.
WKND Lab
WKND Lab will showcase traditional Korean materials and craftsmanship for Design Miami/ Basel, reinterpreted to emphasize sustainability to showcase the pioneering nature of Korean craft. Using Jagae (lacquerware), a dated furniture finish in Korea, WKND Lab are changing the perception of this material to make it more approachable for younger generations by introducing contemporary forms and aesthetics. Jagae uses Ottchill, a type of wood resin that is biodegradable and eco-friendly for its finish, tapping into the studio’s ethos of focusing on environmental and ecological issues.
Design Miami/ Basel 2022 Galleries/
Carpenters Workshop Gallery/ Paris, New York, London
Caterina Tognon/ Venice
Dansk Møbelkunst/ Copenhagen
Dimore Gallery/ Milan
Friedman Benda/ New York
Galleria Rossella Colombari/ Milan
Galerie Antonella Villanova/ Foiano Della Chiana
Galerie Chastel-Maréchal/ Paris
Galerie DOWNTOWN - François Laffanour/ Paris
Galerie Eric Philippe/ Paris
Galleri Feldt/ Paris
Galerie Jacques Lacoste/ Paris
Galerie kreo/ Paris, London
Galerie Matthieu Richard/ Paris
Galerie Meubles et Lumières/ Paris
Galerie Mitterrand/ Paris
Galerie Negropontes/ Paris
Galerie Pascal Cuisinier/ Paris
Galerie Patrick Seguin/ Paris
Galerie Philippe Gravier/ Paris
Galerie SCENE OUVERTE/ Paris
Gokelaere & Robinson/ Brussels, Knokke
Guelfucci Gallery/ Rome
Hostler Burrows/ New York
Jousse Entreprise/ Paris
Lebreton/ San Francisco
Maria Wettergren/ Paris
Morentz Gallery/ Waalwijk
Pierre Marie Giraud/ Brussels
Thomas Fritsch-ARTRIUM/ Paris
Thomsen Gallery/ New York
Todd Merrill Studio/ New York
Design Miami/ Basel 2022 Curio/
193 Gallery
20C Gallery
Carpenters Workshop Gallery
co/rizom
Damian Garrido Orfebre, S.L
FAINA
Galerie MICA x LAB
Ivan Baj
Marie Piselli
Particle
Paul Bourdet Fine Furniture
Rademakers Gallery
Sèvres
Stefano Trapani SRLS
We+
WKND Lab
Yasmine Mahmoudieh
Schedule of Events/
Preview Day/ By Invitation Only
Monday, June 13/
Collector’s Preview/ 12-6 PM
VIP Preview/ 6-8 PM
Public Show Days/
Tuesday, June 14/ 11 AM - 8 PM
Wednesday, June 15/ 11 AM - 8 PM
Thursday, June 16/ 11 AM - 7 PM
Friday, June 17/ 11 AM - 7 PM
Saturday, June 18/ 11 AM - 7 PM
Sunday, June 19/ 11 AM - 7 PM