Within the vibrant Art Basel energy, Design Miami/ unfolded the 2023 theme “Where We Stand” and encouraged storytelling that provoked connection and thought. The open invitation within the theme gave us the narrative that transcended the confines of traditional exhibitions. This year focused on the universal language of design and harmonized with the collective quest for unity here in Miami Beach, Florida.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belongingness Served Up in Real Time
With an inclusive, diverse crowd, Design Miami/ conceptualizes designs by place, community, and heritage. Here we could feel the emotion behind this melting pot of ideas—a convergence of voices in a fair of creativity. The profound insights from Curatorial Director, Anna Carnick, resonated deeply, “There’s a quote I return to often… ‘Stories bring us together. Untold stories keep us apart.’ Storytelling is how we access one another’s humanity. At pivotal moments such as this, an exchange of stories feels all the more urgent. Stories—whether crafted in words or wood—matter.” Art should make us feel something, but what we do with that paradigm shift is the key.
A Changing World Needs Our Stories for Connectedness
The ambiance was not merely a showcase of artistic prowess; it encapsulated a symbolic odyssey toward unity in an ever-changing world. The ethereal whispers of interconnectedness, cool to the touch, echoed resoundingly, underscoring the imperative need for a global merging of good vibes—an endeavor to construct bridges rather than walls. How can we best embrace our stories and understand our humanity and connectedness? Through the senses, of course. No matter the medium of choice, and within a digital realm of modernity, connecting in person holds its weight in gold even ’til this day.
If Life is Art, We Have The Power to Make Swift Moves
Whether it be through furniture, sculpture, installation, experiential, or a collaboration, Design Miami/ can be interchangeably with the sentiment around the basis of art. Art is life and life imitates art, but it’s never-ending discourse is alive and well. The masterpieces within the fair walls wrapped us with empathy and understanding so desperately needed in these transformative times. It’s deeper than the visual. In Rive Roshan’s The Space In-Between Curio installation presented by Rademakers Gallery stunned me with its warmth.
Nourishing colors and temperament, I felt the essence of its meaning without words. With the fair theme, this installation was “designed as a peaceful sanctuary in which to contemplate what is possible in the spaces between us — particularly in a moment far too often marked by division,” according to Design Miami/. The Polarity Panels, Space In-Between Tables, and Voices Vessels shifted perspective beyond the physical. It appears to change with light, form, and texture, but it also “evokes the power of the human spirit as it is 3D printed in sand.” If our stories have the power to mind the gap, the dialogue must continue in our community among spaces of art and design.
Unity in Creativity is Limitless and Altruistically, Infinitely Loving
During these trying times, it is important for us to reflect and symbolize the human experience and express modern times without censorship. To fearlessly create and speak on how to find joy despite it all and hope in the strength of us, the resilient people as observers. We can take what we learn and feel from the art and transmute the observation into a shift in our own perspectives and actions.
