Design Miami and Art Basel 2024: An AD PRO Essential Guide

In early December, all eyes will be on Miami as designers, gallerists, curators, and collectors gather in the city for Design Miami, Art Basel, and other activations—a high-energy affair otherwise known as Miami Art and Design Week. In the years since long-standing gallery fair Art Basel chose to open an offshoot in Miami Beach, the event has spawned an explosion of complementary happenings taking place for a short few days throughout the sprawling South Florida metropolis. Most notable are blue-chip fairs Untitled, NADA, and Scope, but also the leading collectible design platform Design Miami. (Editor’s Note: AD PRO members receive 50% off admission to Design Miami—click here to register, and use code DM24ADP at checkout.)

Like major international events elsewhere, other creative industries have begun to get in on the action as well, capturing the attention of a discerning if not overwhelmed audience. Here, AD PRO has pulled together a comprehensive (but not exhaustive) list of what to see and experience, especially when it comes to the increasingly robust design domain.

What, When, and Where

Held December 3–8, Miami Art and Design Week is set to host an exhaustive program of exhibitions, temporary installations, performances, dinners, parties, and unique activations that defy categorization. The event has joined the ranks of other major international events such as the Salone del Mobile, attracting important players in fashion, furniture, and other luxury industries. Many will be mounting temporary activations and debuting new flagship stores this year.

From the fair showcases and museum displays opening on Miami Beach to the ever solidified cluster of luxury boutiques in the Design District with Wynwood, and newly minted hives of creative activity like Little River in between, certain timely topics will emerge throughout this year’s offering. Equitable representation, activism through art and design, site responses, and interdisciplinary cooperation will continue to be powerful throughlines.

Getting around, especially across Biscayne Bay and its Julia Tuttle Causeway, can be challenging—especially as dusk hits and nighttime activities get started. Planning ahead and sticking to one part of town during a given evening is highly recommended.

Where to Eat, Drink, and Stay

After a full day of visual stimulation, a convivial dinner in an equally stunning space is in order. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of beautiful eateries in Magic City. Last fall, hospitality moguls David Grutman, Noah Tepperberg, and Jason Strauss unveiled Casadonna, a Biscayne Bay destination featuring coastal Italian fare and grand palazzo interiors dreamed up by Ken Fulk.

Other clamored-for tables await at Klaw, the swanky surf ‘n’ turf restaurant and rooftop bar overlooking Biscayne Bay that Martin Brudnizki Design Studio crafted in Edgewater’s historic Miami Women’s Club. Garrett Singer Architecture + Design has crafted a nod to glamorous Lake Como resorts of yore in Contessa, a two-story hot spot by Major Food Group in the Miami Design District. And those craving nightcaps should close out the evening with one of celebrated bartender Julio Cabrera’s Magic City Daiquiris at Café La Trova in Little Havana.

Fashionable hotels abound in Miami, but a few of the newer ones consistently drawing raves are the Esmé Miami Beach on Española Way, Hotel Greystone on Collins Avenue, and the Goodtime Hotel. The first of these comes courtesy of Infinity Hospitality Group and Jessica Schuster Design and has a distinct bohemian flair, while Greystone, from Salt Hotels and Bowen Holly, pays tribute to its Art Deco past. Goodtime, for its part, lives up to its name with its pinked-out interiors by Fulk (and immaculate vibes).

For a dose of Art Deco–era charm, book a room—or a brunch reservation—at the pistachio-hued Pelican hotel in South Beach. Originally designed by Miami architect Henry Hohauser in the late 1940s, the Ocean Drive hot spot was revamped just two years ago under the guidance of Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, who has owned the place since 1992. With refreshed interiors, its 33 delightfully theme-y rooms embrace high kitsch, with decor zingers that include banana-leaf wallpaper, a zebra-print bed, and a room that looks like a canary yellow log cabin. For the VIP treatment, book the James Bond–inspired “Penthouse One.”

Elsewhere, the Sagamore, the self-proclaimed “original art hotel” in Miami Beach has earned the moniker. The Art Deco hot spot—built in 1948 by Miami architect Albert Anis—boasts more than 1,500 artworks on display at any time. Walls and staircases are covered in murals and there’s an expansive collection of art in every medium, adding character to rooms and common spaces. The Sagamore also has a stellar lineup of Art Week programming informed by their partnership with BitBasel. Plus, the hotel’s famous art brunch, held on Saturday, December 7, is the pool party to see and be seen.

Design Happenings Not to Miss

Under the curatorial direction of noted writer and historian Glenn Adamson, Design Miami will open this edition with a focus on “blue-sky thinking,” meaning ideas that are not limited by the current beliefs or norms of a group or society. “The choice to be led by the Blue Sky curatorial theme felt only natural for this 20th edition of Design Miami,” Adamson says. “The theme presents an opportunity to celebrate Design Miami’s role as a platform for the 21st-century avant-garde, showcasing the very best in contemporary and historic design for two decades. Design is inherently a speculative venture and also a collective one—a shared framework of reference at a time of global interconnection. The same sky is above us all.”

Rounding out his vision for this installment, the curatorial director teamed up with paint brand Alkemis on seven bespoke colorways that will be implemented throughout the public area of the fair’s Pride Park tent setup just across the street from the Miami Beach Convention Center where Art Basel Miami Beach is taking place.

While established New York gallery Friedman Benda is taking a different approach this year and framing its group showcase through the organicist lens of seminal Mexican architect Javier Senosiain, Ateliers Courbet will debut “Sculpt,” a collective exhibit highlighting one-off pieces by master artisans from five continents.

Also at the show, The Future Perfect will mount its largest display yet with over 100 new works by the likes of Anina Major, Laurids Gallée, Olivia Cognet, Sophie Lou Jacobsen, Chris Wolston, Lindsey Adelman, and Cody Hoyt, with preeminent Indian designer Vikram Goyal making his US debut. Ukrainian architect and designer Victoria Yakusha will present her second Curio showcase with upholstered furnishings from her new nature-inspired Grun collection.

Beyond the long-participating galleries that helped establish the fair two decades ago are a whole host of new exhibitors. Blunk Space—the gallery founded by Mariah Nielson, daughter of noted Northern California polymath JB Blunk—is set to debut designs by equally intuitive and resourceful talents: Mexico City–based Alana Burns, London-based Rio Kobayashi, and Los Angeles–based Adam Pogue. Fellow Angeleno and rising star of collectible design Willett will reveal two new colorways for his Popo Chair. The stacked MDF design, now available in white and oxblood, will feature prominently as part of Design Miami’s USM and Devon Ojas’s listening room.

Elsewhere at the fair, Fendi has teamed up with London-based furniture designer Lewis Kemmenoe to craft a series of furniture, lamps, vases, and wall panels that, in classic Kemmenoe fashion, indulge in the bounds of materiality. Don’t miss the artisan’s renegade take on sumptuous stones, timber, and sleek metals.

While Dubai-based lighting designer Nader Gammas will make his debut with an inaugural Curio display, Boston-based high-craft carpet producer Merida Studio will showcase its latest concepts within a holistic tokonoma-inspired installation. Another Los Angeles–based practice, Nuova Group, will showcase its comprehensive 1971 lighting and furniture collection in a fully immersive display harkening back to its namesake year.

Ever influential international design platform Alcova—the brainchild of multihyphenate culturemakers Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima—will be making its second Miami Art and Design Week appearance with another carefully curated yet robust selection of contemporary design. Held in a historic Downtown Miami locale rather than the motel it occupied in 2023, the showcase promises to offer a comprehensive overview of where the collectible market is headed.

“River Inn, with its unique history and vibrant community atmosphere, encapsulates the spirit of Alcova’s mission to create dynamic platforms which celebrate the architectural legacy of the cities we work in,” the founders share. “Miami’s unique urban fabric and architectural heritage continue to inspire us, and the designers who make up the Alcova community.” Among 40 noted exhibitors such as Rich Aybar, of R.A.Workshop, and Crafting Plastics (also developing this year’s Lexus installation presented at ICA Miami) will be newcomers like Istanbul-based interior architect and designer Sema Topaloğlu, who will be unveiling her “Nonconformist Tropical Garden” installation.

While New York practice Juntos Project will showcase the latest iterations of its Arc collection in a sawdust-amassed installation entitled “Hard Wood”—an ode to the provenance of raw material—Los Angeles designer Jialun Xiong is curating the “Something Last” group show with monochromatic objects designed by her contemporaries. The immersive space is set to provide weary visitors with a sense of calm and respite. Elsewhere, Jirah Joshua (of Room–File) will be curating a space featuring his own designs, as well as work by Brian Lam and Mike Serra.

Farther north, the increasingly entrenched Miami Design District will play host to its annual Design Commission public installation. Developed this year by Zimbabwean-born, South Africa–based architectural and urban designer Nicole Nomsa Moyo, the multifaceted Pearl Jam project will draw inspiration from the Ndebele tribe, with large, interactive, and jewel-like sculptures displayed throughout the neighborhood’s many plazas and walkways. New York–based artist Alteronce Gumby will unveil Living the Dream, a new and permanent public mural; a vibrant collage incorporating stained glass, gemstones, fossils, and mosaic tiles.

Many of the micro-neighborhood’s premium retailers are also mounting special activations. Take French luxury accessory brand Cartier’ Trinity 100 pop-up, an immersive experience commemorating its 100th anniversary and legendary French poet Jean Cocteau.

Other heritage Italian producers—mostly in the home furnishings sphere—are also hosting events and product launches. While B&B Italia is set to present the “Living With Art and Design” talk at its Miami Design District showroom, Poltrona Frau will unveil its Officine Gullo–designed 2024 Outdoor Collection.

Up the road in the Little River creative district, local practice (and AD PRO Directory listee) Moniomi Design will make a splash with its bespoke Made by Moniomi textile, furniture, and accessories collection presented within its new La Scala studio-showroom.

Just south of the Miami Design District, hip postindustrial pocket Wynwood will be home to the second installment of IKEA’s Sleepeasy pop-up and two exclusive events hosted by Moooi at American office furniture producer Steelcase’s showroom.

At its Wynwood location, multicity collectible design gallery Ralph Pucci is set to reveal Primal Mysteries, its first in-house collection in more than a decade.

Many activities will take place in unlikely locations: hotels, restaurants, beaches, commercial thoroughfares, and even botanical gardens. Such is the norm during this beast of a week.

Powerhouse bathroom fixture brand Kohler, increasingly the sponsor behind impressive cultural activations mounted across the globe, will debut the new Ice Bath by Remedy Place through an all-encompassing food and live music experience at the Miami Beach Edition Hotel. Developed in collaboration with renowned self-care expert Jonathan Leary, PhD, the new design fuses sleek, minimalist design with innovative functionality to promote better physical and mental well-being.

Danish furniture brand Muuto will debut its Settle Outdoor Collection during a golden-hour cocktail held within the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, right next to Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami. Then, Canadian furniture producer Avenue Road is set to display the latest Man of Parts collection at its iconic Moderne-style residence in the La Gorce neighborhood.

Book publisher Phaidon will celebrate the launch of noted editor and strategist Spencer Bailey’s five-volume Design: The Leading Hotels of the World during a special event at the Setai Hotel. In true Miami fashion, new craft-forward electric surfboard brand Lind will make a bold entrance with a display at the Standard Hotel.

Leading design research studio Formafantasma is teaming up with French Champagne house and major art and design sponsor Perrier-Jouët to address the all-too-pressing issue of biodiversity loss. The interactive Banquet of Nature experience will promote the concepts of sourcing locally and interspecies cohabitation.

At the Faena Hotel complex in Mid-Beach, multiplatinum recording artist Jewel will debut her mixed-media “Heart of the Ocean” sculpture, which translates real-time oceanic data into a captivating visual and auditory display as a metaphor for mental health awareness.

Fair attendees may also spot Buffalo Prescott and Detroit Recovery Project’s artist-designed Narcan and safe-sex sets, which are debuting at NADA during the week.

There’s no doubt that the players driving different sectors of the art and design industries are blurring boundaries and finding new ways to collaborate. Miami Art and Design Week is the perfect platform to reveal those dynamic developments.