STYLE 1 MEDIA >>> MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT
Miami Design District Buzzes with Culture During Design Miami 2011
Design District, Miami, FL | 11.29-12.4.2011 | by Merry Esparza
The 18 square-block Miami Design District, located just north of downtown Miami, has become a first-class
destination for art, design, architecture, and fashion lovers. During the December, 2011 Art Basel Miami Beach and
Design Miami/ fairs, the District's design and furniture showrooms, art galleries, fashion boutiques, and cultural
spaces welcomed visitors from around the world to a week of events culminating in a VIP Night on December 1st.
Highlights included Dior's chic pop-up boutique featuring Anselm Reyle’s new accessory collection;
Beatriz Milhazes' bejeweled mobile commissioned by Cartier; and a historic
Buckminster Fuller-Norman Foster installation.
(left: Sky view from inside Buckminster Fuller's "Fly's Eye Dome")
The relationship between architecture, art, and design was explored in exhibits throughout the Design District. The exhibition,
"Architecting The Future: Buckminster Fuller & Norman Foster,"
featured two of 20th Century architect/designer Buckminster Fuller's works--the restored 24-foot "Fly's Eye Dome,"
a self-sustaining domed shelter, and the aerodynamically efficient "Dymaxion 4" car
reconstructed by contemporary architect Lord Norman Foster.
The pieces were installed at the grassy Palm Lot open space at 140 NE 39 Street. The dome is part of the
Craig Robins Collection and will be permanently
placed in a pedestrian plaza within the Design District.
At the Moore Building (4040 NE 2nd Avenue 191 NE 40th Street), architect, artist, and composer
Christopher Janney had his first Miami solo exhibition,
"The Sound and Light Environments of Christopher Janney." Coinciding with the inauguration of Janney's
"Harmonic Convergence," a new interactive sound and light installation at Miami International Airport,
the solo show explored the fusion of music and architecture.
Also at the Moore Building was Dior's popup boutique,
established to launch the art and fashion collaboration "Anselm Reyle for Dior."
Contemporary German artist Anselm Reyle collaborated with Dior
to create the vibrantly colorful totes, wallets, clutches, key chains, shoes, scarves, and jewelry that make up the collection.
Urban and edgy, the pieces bear patterns, shapes, and textures found in the artist's multimedia work. At the opening, guests enjoyed
complimentary manicures by celebrity nail stylist Tracy Lee and staff, using Dior's bold new nail colors from
the collection.
In an art and fashion collaboration at the Collins Building (139 NE 39th Street), the
Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art presented Brazilian artist
Beatriz Milhazes' "Aquarium," a grand mobile composed of pearls, gems, and semi-precious stones, crafted by
the Ateliers Cartier. The exquisite work, which contains forms and motifs found in the artist's gallery work,
was originally exhibited at the Foundation in Paris in 2009.
Other art and fashion collaborations included
Pringle of Scotland's
popup boutique at the Mosaic Building (161 NE 40th Street), which showcased "LiamGillickforPringleofScotland."
The accessories and knitwear collection was created from a partnership between British artist Liam Gillick
and Pringle of Scotland Design Director, Alistair Carr.
At its retail location at 3930 NE 2nd Avenue, Maison Martin Margiela
presented "Love, etc.," an exploration of the Maison's relationship with interiors, and fashion house
Marni partnered with multi-media artist
Tellas, featuring his black and white drawings as patterns in its collection.
Pampaloni, the elegant silver store founded in Florence, hosted a cocktail reception at
its 91 NE 40 Street retail location. Paired with Pampaloni's latest silver collection by Alberto Zorzi and David Palterer
was Florentine artist Margherita Abbozzo's "Paradiso Perfetto," an installation
of six oil paintings inspired by Renaissance gardens.
At 4141 NE 2nd Avenue, world-renowned maker of unique design objects, Alessi, celebrated
the grand opening of its new Design District location with a special installation. Mounted in the new shop was Catalan designer,
Marti Guixe's "Blank Wall Clock" design, replicated for Alessi using
iconic pieces from the company’s ninety years of history.
In the same building, Primary Projects presented "Here Lies Georges Wildenstein"
a commentary on the influential Wildenstein art dynasty, featuring work by a variety of artists including photographer Miru Kim.
Miru Kim's controversial performance piece, "The Pig That Therefore I Am", is riveting, as
we watch the self-professed hygiene freak wallow naked in a cage full of live pigs.
Other notable Miami Design District events included Miami Magazine's Haiti Art Expo II,
and exhibitions at the de la Cruz Collection, Locust Projects, OHWOW, Inventory 02, Poltrona Frau, Nektar De Stagni and Gallery Diet, Luminaire Lab, Flos, and Ligne Roset. Free shuttle buses regularly transported visitors from
the Design Miami/ Pavilion in Miami Beach to the Design District.
For more information, please visit the: Miami Design District
