Design Miami/ Basel: must-sees

(Shirley Griffin for R20th Century)

The fifth edition of the Design Miami event, running June 15-19 in Basel, Switzerland, will showcase the works from 32 international design galleries, focusing on 18th to 21st century furniture, lighting and objets d'art.

Droog

The Red blue Lego chair by Mario Minale, the Rietveld Lego buffet and Dawn/dusk mirror by Minale-Maeda, the Darwin chair by Stefan Sagmeister, Second hand by Maarten Baas & Franck Bragigand, The Copper Collection by Aldo Bakker for Thomas Eyck, and the Chest Box by Jan Konings are all on display at the Dutch design label's stand at Booth G28 in Hall 5.
http://www.droog.com

R 20th Century Design

The New York-based gallery presents the work of four important figures in American design: Greta Magnusson Grossman, Wendell Castle, David Wiseman, and Jeff Zimmerman will be shown in an exhibition designed by Steven Learner Studio. Evan Snyderman, co-founder of the gallery, says: "They represent a continuum: Grossman is a major, largely forgotten historic figure while Wiseman and Zimmerman are rising stars. Castle is an icon, still working; he is the bridge between the historic and the contemporary."
http://www.r20thcentury.com

Designers of the Future

Four emerging designers have been chosen by the organizers of Design Miami/ to present commissioned works during the fair: while the German Beta Tank's and London-based rAndom International's projects reflect the blurring borders between design and art, the British Graham 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, US duo Zigelbaum & Coelho created Six-Forty by Four-Eighty, an "interactive installation of thousands of graspable, luminescent pixels controlled by remote light brushes."
http://www.designmiami.com

More recommendations from the organizers:

Contrasts Gallery

Founded in Hong Kong in 1992, the Contrasts Gallery's mission is to show works by cutting-edge artists and international designers who explore Western and Eastern influences on art and design to create a new aesthetic that defines the dynamic changes of today. Established and emerging international designers are invited to push boundaries of traditional Chinese art and craft techniques, to create new works that reflect their experiences in China or aspects of Chinese culture.
Featured designers: Mattia Bonetti, XYZ Design, Maarten Baas, Studio Makkink and Bey, Philip Michael Wolfson and André Dubreuil.

Cristina Grajales

Since its inception in New York in 2001, Cristina Grajales has become one of the world's most distinguished design galleries, specializing in 20th century masterpieces and cultivating future luminaries of 21st century design. An expert in mid-century European and American design, Cristina Grajales promotes work by emerging designers in furniture, lighting, ceramic and textile design.
Featured designers: Alexandra Agudelo, Christophe Côme, Sebastian Errazuriz, Sheila Hicks and Roy McMakin Pulowi.

Dansk Møbelkunst

Dansk Møbelkunst specializes in 20th century Scandinavian design. The gallery is a leading authority in rare, original works of Danish furniture created between 1920 and 1970, encompassing both handcrafted masterpieces and iconic works of industrial design. The gallery recently opened a new flagship space in Zurich.
Featured designers: Poul Henningsen, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Kjærholm and Hans Wegner.

David Gill

Since opening its doors in London in 1987, David Gill has made an impact with design lovers and collectors, for its selection of works by the great maestros of design history from Emile Rhulmann to Eileen Gray; Diego Giacometti to Donald Judd. David Gill also produces new pieces in limited collections  commissioning relevant designers of the moment, including Zaha Hadid, Mattia Bonetti and FredriksonStallard.
Featured designers: Barnaby Barford, Mattia Bonetti, Reinier Bosch, FredriksonStallard, Zaha Hadid and Oriel Harwood.

Demisch Danant

New York-based Demisch Danant specializes in 20th century European design with an emphasis on the late 1950s-80s, featuring the work of Maria Pergay, Pierre Paulin, Joseph Andre Motte, Pierre Guariche and Pentagon. The gallery also engages in a series of exhibitions exploring the intersection between architecture, design and art showing the work of Felice Varini and Krijn de Koning.

http://www.designmiami.com