Art Basel/ Design Miami 2010

December 24, 2010

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"There are two kinds of taste, the taste for emotions of surprise and the taste for emotions of recognition."
- William James

Every December a dramatic chill arrives. It has nothing to do with holiday retail shoppers or the season change. The chill is in my surroundings due to the arrival of Art Basel in Miami, the yearly anticipation gives me the chill: a quite cool chill, akin to goosebumps. I, like other designers, thirst for some original inspirations by year-end. Art Basel arrives most appropriately when I yearn for that perfect inspiration.

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Each year my yearly pilgrimage to Art Basel has offered me different perspectives on the event: some were more colorful, some more commercial, some more risk taking, and some more traditional. This year was no exception to the amble celebrities, critics, media groups and young artists who flocked to beautiful South Beach to see what credible international galleries have brought with them.

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Along with the main event at the convention center, this year brilliant Mr. Craig Robbins installed a special tent across from the main venue called Design Miami. Beyond the tradition of openings in the Design District of Miami, the special tent became a forefront stage to feature highly notable, intelligent, distinctive, rare, and polished design products and related concepts, including this year's designer of the year: Mr. Konstantin Grcic.

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My actual visit originally intended to show support out of pure loyalty as a friend; however, I was greatly inspired by the concept behind the Design Miami show. We should see more of these kinds of well-presented, well-edited, and highly distinctive shows. The only other design shows where concepts are encouraged and recognized is the Zona Tortona at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. But I found Design Miami a great start where Art Basel might also participate in prioritizing distinctions over selling merchandise.

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