Beta Tank, Graham Hudson, rAndom International, and Zigelbaum & Coelho have been commissioned to create special designs for the next Design Miami/ Basel fair in June.
While Beta Tank's and rAndom International's projects will reflect the blurring borders between design and art, Hudson is going for a more pragmatic approach, creating a DJ booth that can be installed temporarily at different sites for W Hotels, which for the first time endorses the award.
Meanwhile, Zigelbaum & Coelho will create Six-Forty by Four-Eighty, an "interactive installation of thousands of graspable, luminescent pixels controlled by remote light brushes," which W thinks could fit well into its Living Room lounges.
Following W's move of hiring a fashion director, this partnership with Design Miami/ cements its forward-thinking position in the creative industries, and it seems as if this year's projects are more tailored towards a practical purpose - namely that of moving from one W hotel to another - than in the past.
"This year, we wanted to emphasize recent advancements in novel ‘design thinking' that involve rich intersections between a variety of creative fields while exploring modes of design work that are particularly interactive," Design Miami/'s associate director, Wava Carpenter, said. "The common thread shared by the four diverse award winners consists of experiential and cross-disciplinary approaches that prompt visitors to participate and re-think the definitions of design practice."
The Basel edition of Design Miami/ runs concurrently with Art Basel, June 15-19.
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