Design Miami/, One of the most important events for collect­ing, exhibiting, discussing and cre­ating collectible design, will pres­ent the fifth edition of its popular Curio program at the upcoming edition of the fair (December 5 – 9), alongside the mainstay of the fair, the Galleries section.Launched in 2014, this year’s Curio program will present 11 new presentations. Inspired by Renaissance-era cabinets of curios­ities, Curio exhibitions are small-scale, immersive installations pre­sented by brands, galleries, and designers alongside the gallery pro­gram of the fair. A platform for experimentation and innovation, the program spans the 20th and 21st centuries, and presents instal­lations of scientific and technologi­cal research alongside handcraft and creative production. The high­light this year is a focus on tradi­tional design methodologies, tools, and materials. Designers and cre­ators are producing new and excit­ing forms informed by their prede­cessors — exploring historical materials and techniques from Argentina, Korea, Transylvania, and more.“A platform for experimenta­tion and innovation, the Curio program has been the stage for launching pioneering new projects, such as MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab and Tom Sachs’s first international furniture pieces, both presented at Design Miami/ 2017. In 2016, Virgil Abloh presented the “Curio – A Series of Off-White,” a special furniture commission by the designer,” stated the fair.“We are thrilled with the far-reaching international scope of this year’s Curio program and with the projects’ exposure of new talents at the fair, combining conceptual practices with traditional crafts­manship,” said Jennifer Roberts, CEO, Design Miami/.The 2018 Curio presentations are: “The Color and the Shape” by Calico Wallpaper and Philippe Malouin. It transforms an expanse of wall space into an interactive surface for collage. Constructed from colorful hand-cut forms in eclectic, textured, and oversized materials, the project takes its inspiration from Henri Matisse’s cutouts and the technique he described as “carving into color.” “The Entrevero” furniture collec­tion by Argentine designer and art­ist Cristian Mohaded seeks to cul­tivate a new means of expression that crosses the boundaries between design and art with its use of materials through artisanal and industrial techniques from Argentina. Other projects include “The Office” by Harry Nuriev, “Breaking The Mold: Contemporary Korean Ceramics” by J. Lohmann Gallery, “Semantics of the Voids” by Roland Gebhardt presented by Karla Osorio Projects, “Seilla de Mexico” by Oscar Hagerman, pre­sented by kurimanzutto, “The Masters Editions” by Giancarlo Valle and Mauro Mori presented by Les Ateliers Courbet, “re:construction” by Malcolm James Kutner, “The Corner Piece N° 2 curated by Ligia Dias and presented by Martina Simeti, “Liabilities” by Nadja Zerunian, and “Walt Disney Studio Designs” by Kem Weber presented by Peter Blake Gallery.The fair has also announced the year’s winners of Design Visionary Award given out for Design Miami/ 2018 Graphic Identity. The winners this year are the husband-wife duo of artist Pedro Reyes and fashion designer Carla Fernandez. They have created the fair’s graph­ic identity that will include limited-edition bags and aprons.According to a release by the fair, Reyes and Fernandez took inspiration for their Design Miami/ 2018 graphic identity from the bold graphics of the handmade protest signs, posters and ephemera from the May 1968 Paris uprising, a rev­olution that signaled a social and cultural turning point worldwide and inspired an artistic movement.Other highlights of the fair include functional sculptures by Carpenters Workshop Gallery, his­torical works by Didier Ltd., Nordic design and decorative arts by Hostler Burrows, historical and Contemporary works in dialogue at Paul Kasmin Gallery, historical and Contemporary designs at R & Company, French ceramics at Thomas Fritsch – Artrium, and Contemporary innovative design works at Sarah Myerscough Gallery and Salon 94 Design, among others.— Design Miami/ will run December 5 – 9 at Meridian Avenue & 19th Street, Miami Beach, adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center. For opening hours and other details, visit www.miami2018. designmiami.comThis article appears in the Blouin Artinfo Fair Newspaper's December 2018 edition.https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin Read more