Artnet
Design Miami Bigger, Bolder,Broader
December 1, 2011

Architect David Adjaye’s pavilion at the entrance of Design Miami

Design Miami founder Craig Robins and David Adjaye

Jean Prouvé, Shed, 1956, at Galerie Downtown

Bae Se Hwa steamed walnut bench at Seomi

Richard Filipowski, Untitled, ca. 1960, at Hostler Burrows

Hostler Burrows booth with Axel Einer Hjorth’s chrome and glass table in the foreground

Harry Bertoia’s steel Dandelion, 1951, in the middle of the Todd Merrill booth

rAndom International, You Fade to Light, 2009, at Carpenters Workshop Gallery

Jewelry at the Didier booth

Ron Nagle works at Pierre Marie Giraud

Sterling Ruby ashtrays in the foreground at Pierre Marie Giraud

DESIGN MIAMI BIGGER, BOLDER,BROADER

Brook S. Mason | December 1, 2011

For its second installation directly in the shadow of the mega-Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami, Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2011, is stepping out of its once boutique-like niche onto a grand platform. The fair is considerably larger, with dealers like the Seoul-based Seomi taking on triple-sized stands. The fair has more diversity and depth, with more important archival material than prior editions.

“Design Miami reflects both the changing taste of collectors and the expanding marketplace,” said Miami developer Craig Robins, founder of what is now a 23-dealer show. To pique the interest of architecture buffs, Robins brought on London architect David Adjaye to design an outdoor pavilion. The laser-cut gazebo, which is crafted of 2 x 4s, is both millennial and homespun.

New exhibitors include Pierre Marie Giraud from Brussels, Mark McDonald from Hudson,Didier Ltd. from London and Modernity from Stockholm. Among returning dealers are Tribeca’s Hostler Burrows (the former Antik), Magen H of New York, Galerie Downtown of Paris, Galerie Vivid from Rotterdam and Dansk Mobelkunst of Copenhagen.

Early proof of Robins’ winning ways are a bevy of sales with Todd Merrill, Hostler Burrows, Patrick Seguin, Mark McDonald and Pierre Marie Giraud within the first hour of the VIP opening yesterday afternoon. Pounced on by a Mexican collector was a 1956 bent steel Shed by Jean Prouvé at Galerie Downtown for a price upwards of $300,000. It’s really the perfect canopy for a pool area. Nearby, at Seomi, Bae Se Hwa’s steamed walnut bench went for $48,000 to a British client.

As the fair has matured, offerings have moved on considerably from merely basic textbook names such as Charles and Ray Eames and Finn Juhl, demonstrating the growing sophistication of the client base. On hand at Hostler Burrows are new names like Richard Filipowski (1928-2008), whose bronze sculptures mark him as a disciple of the Harry Bertoia esthetic; Axel Einar Hjorth (1888- 1959), with a surprisingly modern 1930 center table in chrome and glass; and Arno Malinowski (1899-1976), who worked in blanc.