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Design Miami: 'Blue Sky' Optimism Meets Bold Experimentation in a Shifting Market | Artnet News

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

Design Miami: 'Blue Sky' Optimism Meets Bold Experimentation in a Shifting Market | Artnet News

Given the current state of the news cycle, to give Design Miami the over-arching theme of “Blue Sky,” as this year’s newly minted curatorial director Glenn Adamson has done, could either be considered ironic or delusional, or maybe just sweetly optimistic.

Still, the Miami edition of Design Miami (it started in the Floridian city in 2005, hence the name), is known for its more lotus-eating vibes. If the exhibits at the Basel version tend to the historic, and Paris is the ideal spot for elegance and style, then Miami is the place for the experimental and the upbeat. To wit, the Haas Brothers’ large-scale Strawberry Tree that is being co-presented by R& Company and Marianne Boesky in this year’s tent. “Glass is one of the most complicated and collaborative and most modern and historic crafts out there,” say the LA-based brothers, known for their fantastically trippy celebrations of the natural world. The tree is no exception with its bronze trunk encased in thousands of vintage blue beads and hung with luminescent pink glass drops, like over-sized strawberries.

The Haas Brothers The Strawberry Tree by at R & Company x Marianne Boesky for Design Miami 2024 Photo: Kevin Todora; Courtesy of the Nasher Sculpture Center

Since last October, the fair has been under the new ownership of Jesse Lee, a 40-ish resident of Los Angeles who cut his teeth in his twenties matching brands from Asos to Gucci to experiences from youth workshops to Coachella parties. Combing data from his invitation-only website, Basic.Space, that sells cool stuff (high and vintage fashion, contemporary design) to even cooler customers, he has deduced that design is now the major focus of Gen Z and Millennials. “It’s the next big thing for people in music and fashion,” he says.

a man stands in front of enormous speakers

Devon Turnbull’s USM and OJAS Listening Room Installation. Courtesy of USM.

In a world where there are too many fairs, and to survive they need to evolve, Lee’s entrepreneurial instincts could be for the best. He is, for example, introducing Devon Turnbull’s OJAS / USM sound system to the fair, on the grounds that “if you’re going to spend half a million on a kitchen, you’re probably happy to spend $100,000 on speakers.” But also because he believes in the experiential component. (It was, after all, the food offerings and the performances that helped make the early Frieze into a massive success. And look what’s happened since.)

Lee is interested in finding new locations: Aspen and Seoul have been mentioned and he trialled a reasonably successful LA version in May this year. “I love Hawiai,” he says, “but it’s a bit far.” Meanwhile he is increasing the Curio programme, which allows younger dealers to show at cheaper booths, and the range. For Lee, cars and watches (the dude categories) are not beyond consideration, and he wants to reinforce the fair’s connection to fashion. This year, the Zanotta Sacco bean bags, commissioned by Matthieu Blazy for Bottega Veneta’s October fashion show will be on show.

Jean Royère, Sphère coffee table (1954). Courtesy of Galerie Patrick Seguin.

Out of the 54 dealers coming to Miami, only a small number now show exclusively historic design. One of them is the Parisian Patrick Seguin, who is bringing a selection of iconic works by the 20^th Century designer Jean Royere. “I would prefer it if there was more historic work in the fair,” he says. “But most of it is coming from Europe, and shipping furniture is not like shipping a painting.”

Seguin, however, is an industry expert and his offerings are at the highest end—the Royere Sphere table is $500,000. He has a lot of American clients prepared to spend a fortune on these rare pieces. “At this level, the design market is disconnected from economic reality,” says Seguin whose works appeal to those looking for furniture with the same status that a Picasso or a Basquiat might confer.

a piece of furniture looks like an undulating tongue of stained glass

Javier Senosiain, Warm Colors, Design Miami 2024. Photo: Timothy Doyon, courtesy of Friedman Benda and Javier Senosiain.

For Marc Benda, of New York’s Friedman Benda, it is these top collectors who come on day one who tend to make the venture a success. “But southern Florida is a massive market. There are locals who come back several times,” he says. “There is an openness in the Miami mindset, and I’ve often launched designers’ careers here, including [maximalist] Misha Kahn and [gothic crafter] Chris Schanck.” This year, he has a two-part booth. On one side: the first-ever furniture project, clad in multi-colored Mexican tiles, by the exuberant architect Javier Sanosiain; on the other a new lamp—called Robo—by the Italians Formafantasma, that plays into their insistence on rigor and restraint.

Marc Fish, Ethereal Bed (2024). Courtesy of Sarah Myerscough.

“It took us a while to key into what works in Miami,” says London-based Sarah Myerscough, who is known for having created a significant market for sophisticated but authentically craft-based furniture. “We needed to lighten our palette, get designers to use woods like maple and ash, and respond to the climate.” A couple of years ago, she created a sell-out booth, painting its walls with seductive yellows and blues and showing work including an Angela Demann sissal chandelier that tumbled like hair above a Christopher Kurtz maple table. (“The paints were by [LA design queen] Kelly Wearstler. I figured she’d understand the aesthetic,” says Myerscough.) This year, she is bringing a sinuously styled bed, with a transparent canopy, by Marc Fish and an equally rococo swing by Dana Barnes and Christopher Kurtz (each around $200,000), all installed in a dusty pink dreamscape.

Christopher Kurtz + Dana Barnes, Between Us Tête-à-Tête (2024). Courtesy of Sarah Myerscough.

“Historically,” says Trevyn McGowan of South African gallery Southern Guild (now with an outpost in Los Angeles), “Miami has been good for us.” Specializing in work from the African continent, McGowan has effectively created the international careers for artists such as Andile Dyalvane and Zizipho Poswa. Their work will be among the 12 ceramists she is showing this year. “Clay is the most enduring, widespread material across the continent,” says McGowan. “With it, the artists explore everything from women’s rights to rituals to technology. It links up the continent and every possible narrative.”

King Houndekpinkou, The Sea Widow To All Those Brave Men Who Carried You Out of the Sea (2024) and Andile Dyalvane, Igqirha (2024). Courtesy of Southern Guild.

Where once contemporary design, and even near-historic work, was measured in quality and significance against 18^th century furniture and porcelain, or the now questionable category of tribal art, as Marc Benda points out, “It is now measured against the contemporary art market. But we have a much more limited inventory.”

However, Sarah Myserscough believes that “Design feels like it’s on a firmer footing right now than the art market. But then, the price points aren’t as high. And people need to furnish their homes.”

Design Miami begins this week, with an invite-only preview on Dec. 5, and open to the public Dec. 6-10. The fair is at Convention Center Drive & 19th Street, Miami Beach, Florida.

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Miami, FL

Miami takes on Brooklyn, seeks to end 5-game skid

Published

7 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Miami takes on Brooklyn, seeks to end 5-game skid

Miami Heat (14-12, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7-18, 13th in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Heat -6.5; over/under is 227.5

BOTTOM LINE: Miami aims to break its five-game skid with a win over Brooklyn.

The Nets have gone 6-13 against Eastern Conference teams. Brooklyn is ninth in the Eastern Conference with 25.7 assists per game led by Nic Claxton averaging 4.4.

The Heat are 8-7 against Eastern Conference opponents. Miami is third in the league scoring 56.2 points per game in the paint led by Jaime Jaquez Jr. averaging 10.9.

The Nets score 110.2 points per game, 7.5 fewer points than the 117.7 the Heat allow. The Heat average 120.7 points per game, 4.8 more than the 115.9 the Nets give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is scoring 25.6 points per game with 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Nets. Egor Demin is averaging 17.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 75.0% over the last 10 games.

Kel’el Ware is averaging 11.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo is averaging 20.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 4-6, averaging 110.7 points, 41.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.4 points per game.

Heat: 4-6, averaging 114.2 points, 45.6 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.3 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.7 points.

INJURIES: Nets: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee), Ben Saraf: day to day (illness), Cam Thomas: out (hamstring).

Heat: Nikola Jovic: day to day (arm), Tyler Herro: day to day (toe), Pelle Larsson: out (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Miami, FL

An immersive ‘Survivor’ experience and fan café will open in Miami in January

Published

19 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

An immersive ‘Survivor’ experience and fan café will open in Miami in January

Miami is about to get voted onto the island.

This January, Jungle Island will transform into a full-on tribute to one of TV’s longest-running juggernauts with the arrival of the Survivor Ultimate Fan Cafe, a limited-time immersive experience celebrating the show’s 50th season.

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Opening on January 29, 2026, the café is a collaboration between Bucket Listers and CBS, timed to build buzz ahead of the milestone anniversary season, which premieres on February 25. The concept goes way beyond themed cocktails and logo merch, though. This is designed as a hands-on playground for fans who’ve spent decades yelling strategy advice at their TVs.

Photograph: Courtesy of Bucket Listers

“This Ultimate Fan Cafe is more than an event; it’s an immersive tribute to the fan community that has kept CBS’ Survivor thriving for 50 seasons,” said Mike Benson, president and chief marketing officer, Paramount Television, in an official statement. “From iconic photo moments to themed food and real Survivor-style challenges, we’re inviting fans to live the adventure like never before.”

Inside the custom-built space at Jungle Island, guests will be able to test their skills with a rotating lineup of physical and mental challenges inspired by the show, all adapted for safe, indoor play. You won’t be dangling over the ocean or shivering by a fire to stay warm, but you will get a taste of the competitive spirit that’s defined Survivor since its debut in 2000.

Between challenges, castaways will refuel with a Polynesian-fusion menu created by chef Becky Brown, a MasterChef finalist and Chopped champion. The themed offerings include dishes like sole Survivor ceviche, campfire carnitas tacos, new era laksa noodles and a double elimination burger. There will be desserts, kid-friendly options and plenty of comfort food for those who prefer spectating to scheming.

The drink menu will keep the island vibes flowing with themed cocktails and mocktails, plus beer and wine. Also expect shareable pitchers of jungle juice or hidden immunity punch, which feels very on-brand for plotting alliances.

Photo ops will be baked into every corner of the experience, from a tribal council-style fire pit to a voting confessional booth and a winner’s wall designed for brag-worthy pics. Exclusive Survivor merchandise will also be available for purchase.

Tickets include a food and beverage credit and cover a 90-minute reservation. A waitlist is now open through Bucket Listers, with ticket sales launching exclusively on the platform. For more information, click here.

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Miami, FL

Time for Miami to bench Tua Tagovailoa? ‘Very rash and shortsighted’

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1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Time for Miami to bench Tua Tagovailoa? ‘Very rash and shortsighted’

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s Monday night stats look as though they could have come from a victory. The former Alabama All-American completed 22-of-28 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a passing-efficiency rating of 113.2.

But they didn’t come from a win. They didn’t even come from a game that the Dolphins looked ready to win.

Miami lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-15 on Monday night, ending the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak and dropping them from among the AFC’s playoff contenders with three games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

“Supremely disappointed in the outcome,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said, “and I think it does a disservice to, really, the objective, the work that we were doing on this opponent. And flat out, their team was better than our team.”

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Miami trailed 7-3 before a disastrous third quarter. Pittsburgh scored a touchdown on each of its first three second-half possessions while the Dolphins’ third-quarter possessions were both three-and-outs. On the six plays, Miami netted minus-20 yards, with Tagovailoa sacked on third down on both series.

Tagovailoa dropped back on seven third downs in the game. He completed two passes for 41 yards, threw one incompletion, got sacked three times and scrambled for a 1-yard gain.

With the Dolphins’ season set to end on Jan. 4 now, McDaniel was asked if he would consider using Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers at quarterback now.

“I think it would be very rash and shortsighted if I even tried to tackle that option,” McDaniel said. “I think I have to look at the tape, and I’ll move on from there. But, realistically, I’m just supremely disappointed that we couldn’t come out with a win here. We had high expectations, and they fell short.”

After the Dolphins fell behind 28-3, Tagovailoa completed 16-of-18 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He failed to connect on two 2-point conversion throws.

Miami had won four games in a row by averaging 192.25 rushing yards per game and compiling more yards on the ground than through the air in each contest. Against Pittsburgh, the Dolphins netted 63 yards on 16 rushing attempts.

“There were just some things offensively that we were doing that we were messing ourselves up, really,” Tagovailoa said. “Just basically every aspect from my communication to the guys with them getting in the huddle, calling the plays, getting out, guys knowing where to go with their alignments, some of that.”

In its next game, Miami plays the Cincinnati Bengals at noon CST Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

“At the end of the day, it’s about pride that you have for yourself,” Tagovailoa said about playing out the string, “your last name on your back, who you are as a husband, who you are as a father, as a son, as a teammate, all of that. So we’ll see come on Wednesday. …

“You got to take yourself back to whatever it was — that 12-year-old kid. You take yourself back to that, and you tell yourself like, ‘Dude, what if you were playing in the NFL?’ You’d be ecstatic. That would have been your dream. You get to live it. But with that being said, you also got to come out with a sense of urgency of: Do you take pride in what you do when things are going good and when things are going bad? Because it falls into every asset of what you do in your life. So that was sort of my message to the guys after the game.”

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