What, When, and Where
Get ready! Miami Art and Design Week will be back in full swing December 1–7. Anchored by Art Basel and Design Miami, the event has joined the ranks of Salone and its other European counterparts, becoming a key opportunity for international galleries (as well as furniture producers, and kitchen and bathroom brands) to unveil new collections.
As always, the week is packed with a slew of museum retrospectives and group shows, with many Miami Beach hotels presenting their own large-scale, immersive installations. Across the bay, the Miami Design District will be buzzing with new outdoor installations and showroom openings while further south, the street-art mecca Wynwood will be another hive of activity. Just east of downtown, the colorful River Inn will yet again play host to the maverick fair Alcova.
As the lines between different sectors of the industry continue to blur, fashion houses, car companies, and beauty start-ups are cashing in on the Miami design heat. There’s even an all-female pro wrestling league match on the schedule (more on that later).
Where to Eat, Drink, and Stay
Book your dinner reservations at buzzy Casadonna, a Biscayne Bay destination featuring coastal Italian fare and grand palazzo interiors dreamed up by Ken Fulk, or Klaw, the swanky surf and turf spot overlooking Biscayne Bay that Martin Brudnizki Design Studio crafted in Edgewater’s historic Miami Women’s Club. After party hopping in the Miami Design District, Contessa is a great option—the two-story Major Food Group haunt by Garrett Singer Architecture + Design conjures the glamorous Lake Como resorts of yore.
For an old school South Beach standby, Miami pros will get in line for a table at Joe’s Stone Crab for crustaceans and key lime pie served on white tablecloths (the restaurant doesn’t take reservations). And for a bite (well, it’s way more than a bite) on the go, grab one of the legendary sandwiches from La Sandwicherie on your way to the fairs.
Fashionable hotels abound in Miami, but a few of the newer ones consistently drawing rave reviews are the Esmé Miami Beach on Española Way, the Goodtime Hotel, and the just-opened Andaz Miami Beach in a 1940 Deco gem on Collins Avenue. The first of these comes courtesy of Infinity Hospitality Group and Jessica Schuster Design and has a distinct bohemian flair that’s a bit lower key than the swanky Collins Ave thing. Goodtime, for its part, lives up to its name with its pinked-out interiors (and immaculate vibes) by Fulk. Meanwhile, newcomer Andaz, an elevated branch of Hyatt, pays tribute to Art Deco with sumptuous, organic interiors. This year, Andaz plays host to the buzzy, jet-setting dinner party brigade We Are Ona, with culinary experiences conceptualized by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis.
When it comes to old standbys, we have two tried-and-true options. If you prefer a more casual setting, we recommend the Standard Spa, situated ever so off the beaten path in Belle Isle along Biscayne Bay. This year they’ll host a pop-up by Colombian resortwear brand Esteban Cortázar. For the classic, peak-of-chic accommodations, it’s the Miami Beach EDITION where you’re sure to run into at least a few tastemakers in the lobby amid tropical foliage and gold mosaic-clad columns, revived by Yabu Pushelburg back in 2014. Look out for invites to Silencio, the Parisian nightclub that is taking over the basement this year and in rolling out a slew of musical performances and guest appearances. (You’ll also find a bowling alley and skating rink down there if that’s more your speed.)
If you’re already thinking about next year’s bookings, remember that the historic Art Deco Delano Miami Beach, opened in 1947 and closed since 2020, is finally refreshed, and planning to reopen in early 2026, and the newly revamped Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne, will reopen by the end of 2025. You know what they say—the early bird gets the best suite. —Hannah Martin
Design Happenings Not to Miss
For its 20th, Design Miami celebrates 2.0
To commemorate its 20th anniversary, foremost collectible furniture and functional art fair Design Miami (December 2–7) will host several special project activations in its usual location across from the Miami Beach Convention Center. Most notably, the “Design Miami 2.0” exhibit will feature work by eight emblematic talents, all of whom were handpicked by Glenn Adamson, who serves as the fair’s curatorial director this year.
“While certainly cutting edge, these eight selected practices represent continuity with key strategies that have been seen at Design Miami since its origins 20 years ago,” says Adamson. As he explains, designers Jack Craig and Dirk Van Der Kooij represent an unending interest in inventive material experimentation; multidisciplinaries Victoria Yakusha and Mehdi Dakhli (featured in our December issue) create works with instantly memorable and photogenic iconography; ceramicist Steve Young Lee and sculptor Tina Frey invest in craft processes; and studios Stephen Burk Man Made and Kameh hold true to novel configurations of authorship.
Superhouse Celebrates 1980s Design
Downtown Manhattan gallery Superhouse will continue its year-long exploration of the 1980s, a decade that “marked the first truly American avant-garde furniture movement,” says Stephen Markos, the gallery’s founder. “Designers and artists of that era broke free from the constraints of midcentury modernism, reimagining furniture and interiors with a new sense of freedom, much like the Italian radicals had done in the 1960s and 1970s.” Markos argues that what’s happening in the design scene now feels like a parallel moment. “Contemporary makers are once again turning toward material experimentation, political and social commentary, and the handmade object as a counterpoint to mass production.”
The booth display, designed by Directory members Studio Ahead, will “merge postmodern references with a contemporary sensibility,” Markos adds. Works on view will include Dan Friedman’s LM Screen, Alex Locadia’s Batman Chair, and Tom Loeser’s Folding Chair.
Clive Christian’s Perfume Transformism
British perfumer Clive Christian is teaming up with of-the-moment design practice (and AD's November cover stars) Crosby Studios to mount a fully sensorial experience at Design Miami. The so-called Perfume Transformism installation is a cinema-style environment screening videos and animations, where audience members will be able to “see” Clive Christian’s scents before they smell them. The surreal monochromatic setting is defined by studio founder Harry Nuriev’s signature use of reflective, metallic surfaces. According to Nuriev, the installation offers just a hint of what Crosby Studio is planning for the perfumer’s new London flagship. It all falls in line with the theme of this year’s fair: “Make. Believe.”
Kohler’s Pearlized Finish
Nuriev has also been tapped for a major introduction by Kohler. The manufacturer of bathroom fixtures is unveiling its new Pearlized finish during the fair. In keeping with his enigmatic approach to space, the designer has used the iridescent finish to create an immersive living environment incorporating moving parts that refract light off reflective surfaces.
The Pearlized treatment, which harnesses PVD technology to transform ceramic surfaces into something that feels precious, was itself developed by artist David Franklin—a two-time resident of the brand’s Arts/Industry program. The finish has long been in Kohler’s arsenal, but it was Franklin’s outside perspective that allowed the company’s engineers to arrive at a new, more accessible solution. “A dimensional finish feels timely now because people crave environments that are more sensory and expressive, balancing sophistication with a sense of play,” says Alex Yacavone, Kohler Design Studio Manager.
A place to kick your feet up at Art Basel
AD PRO Directory members Moniomi have designed the Chubb VIP Collector’s Lounge at the Miami Convention Center for this years’ Art Basel Fair. The Miami-based husband and wife known for their playful use of color have designed a sumptuous space with organic patterns, whimsical lighting, comfortable soft seating and—for those with the energy—a ping-pong table, ideal for a breather between booths.
Patricia Urquiola’s Garden Games
Itinerant platform Alcova will yet again inhabit the historic River Inn for its third Miami edition (December 2–7), presenting individual exhibitors—mostly independent makers—across the guest rooms and outdoor space. This year, its partner is American office furniture brand Haworth.
Revered designer Patricia Urquiola, one of the company’s frequent collaborators, has devised a dynamic concept for the Inn’s central courtyard, which she’s dubbed “Garden Games.” A grid, rendered in the fair’s signature pink, will overlay the hotel’s oval-shaped, astro-turfed outdoor space. Cassina’s Rietveld Utrecht Outdoor armchairs and Cappellini's Thinking Man Lido chairs will be plotted on the grid, taking on a personified quality as “actors” (fairgoers) activating the space.
“I imagined the installation to have this energy—rhythm, color, people moving and coming close,” Urquiola says. Through the week, the chairs will be moved into different formations for various dinners and gatherings. “The seats can shift and change, just like the encounters around them. Nothing is fixed.”
More Not to be Missed
- Innovative 3D-printed lighting brand Gantri will make its Miami Art and Design Week debut with a photobooth activation at The Standard Hotel.
- Artist Rashid Johnson (who just had a retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in New York) is curating “The Prelude” show—placing his own Untitled #9 (Surrender Painting) series in dialogue with pieces by Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, and Cy Twombly. The exhibition opens December 2 at 151 NE 31st St. in the Design District.
- As covered in our September issue, The Future Perfect recently acquired a stunning 1920s building in Little Haiti. The former consulate, dubbed Villa Paula, will host its inaugural show during Miami Art Week—don't miss new work by a group of artists from the gallery’s roster (Chen Chen & Kai Williams, Floris Wubben, Reinaldo Sanguino, and more!)
- Cuban muralist Ruben Toledo is transforming the facade of Ralph Pucci Gallery’s Wynwood outpost with the site-specific I See You - I Love You piece.
- On the beach adjacent to the Faena Hotel, renowned set-designer and multimedia artist Es Devlin will mount the massive, rotating Library of Us installation (a more sun-dial-like version of the piece she created for the Salone Del Mobile earlier this year).
- A pillar of Miami’s contemporary art community, Nina Johnson is presenting not one but three shows at her namesake gallery in Little Haiti: “Dara Friedman: Star People,” “Emmett Moore: Neon Sun,” and “Acid Bath House” curated by Jarrett Earnest. Friedman explores the qualities of flatness, light, and vibration with shadowy works made from mirrors. Moore is exhibiting outdoor furniture that contributes to a distinctly Miamian design vernacular. Group show Acid Bath House features works by Nicole Wittenberg and Keith Lafuente amongst others. All three shows are open December 1 through February 7.
- Italian furniture maker Rimadesio opened a new flagship on Biscayne Boulevard this fall. Peruse the latest in sleek modular systems in the modern glass building, which spans 3,000-plus square feet.
- Sukeban, the Japanese all-female pro wrestling league, returns to Miami Beach Bandshell on December 3 for a World Championship fight. Tickets to see Atomic Banshee of the Vandals defend her title against Ichigo Sayaka of the Harajuku Stars are sold out—but you can join the waitlist here.
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