Reflections on Art Basel and Design Miami 2024: A Fusion of Luxury Design, Global Voices, and Emerging Creativity
This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to spend two days at Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami 2024. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend placing Miami on your list as a destination during Art Week. For those coming from the North, it’s a great escape from cold weather during a time when the city comes alive as a celebration of cultural richness, artistic innovation, and luxury design. With Brigid Cardenas debuting as Art Basel’s global director, this year’s events promised to reflect a commitment to inclusivity while setting new standards in both collectible and contemporary design. From global voices to luxury interiors, the fairs offered inspiration for interior designers and collectors alike, particularly those interested in bridging the primarily euro-centric blue-chip fine art world, with collectible furniture design and emerging minority perspectives in art.
As a bilingual interior designer, minority, and collector with expertise in luxury and collectible design, I approached the fairs with a dual focus: identifying trends that elevate interiors and exploring narratives from the Global South and minority communities. Below are insights that blend the worlds of art and design into practical takeaways.
Luxury Meets Storytelling in Collectible Design at Design Miami
Design Miami 2024, Art Basel’s sister fair focusing on high-end furniture and collectible decorative arts, celebrated sculpture as a leading art form across mediums–ceramic, wood, glass, and stone. While many galleries in attendance—regulars on the fair circuit—presented beautiful early and mid-20th century European and American works, there were less-well-known galleries breaking the mold and bringing new perspectives.
- Ceramics From Southern Guild
Capetown and Los Angeles based Southern Guild was a standout for bringing unique shapes from contemporary African artists employing traditional techniques to the forefront. Some beautifully carved and burnished ceramic items from Chuma Maweni and Fani Madoda were high-lights.
Zisina Zidedelana, 2024; Burnished, smoke-fired earthenware by Madoda Fani
- Vikram Goyal’s Large Scale Metal Works
New York-based The Future Perfect presented a roomfull of works from India-based Vikram Goyal, a master metalworker known for blending traditional Indian craftsmanship with a contemporary design sensibility, creating sculptural furniture and lighting pieces that highlight intricate metalwork and artisanal techniques. A giant brass wall mural of an Indian junglescape, the Garden of Life Wall Sconce, was a jawdropper.
- New Brazilian Midcentury Works by JCRD
Newcomer JCRD Gallery presented midcentury Brazilian works for the first time at Design Miami. Rather than presenting known works from a handful of known Brazilian masters, Jorge Salzupin, Joaquim Tenreiro, Oscar Neimeyer, etc., JCRD displayed works from lesser-known but exceedingly important Brazilian midcentury architect and designer, Lina BoBardi.
Design Miami Misses
Design Miami was well-represented by well-heeled gallerists and known galleries—modern and contemporary. However, showgoers missed out on seeing pieces from emerging artists and artisans outside of the Miami area who can’t afford the high cost of entry to the show (shipping and insuring pieces, etc.). In addition, while several galleries focused on Brazilian pieces, one was focused on African artists, and on Indian pieces, I was surprised to see that no gallery present focused on Mexican artists, designers, or artisans.
Amplifying Underrepresented Voices: Global South and Minority Artists at Art Basel
Unlike Design Miami, Art Basel worked hard to make strides in showcasing diverse perspectives, particularly from the Global South and minority communities. Alongside iconic works by blue-chip artists like Picasso, Wilfredo Lam, and Yayoi Kusama, the fair’s emphasis on Native American and Latin American voices was evident through standout presentations by galleries such as Garth Greenan Gallery. The following highlights demonstrate how these artists brought rich cultural narratives to the forefront:
Native American Perspectives
- Melissa Cody (Navajo/Diné): Cody’s Dopamine Regression (2010) exemplifies her mastery of Navajo weaving techniques, reimagined through sophisticated geometric overlays and vibrant color schemes. A fourth-generation weaver, Cody's work bridges tradition and contemporary art, reflecting the resilience and evolution of Native cultural heritage.
- Cannupa Hanska Luger (Standing Rock Sioux): Luger's towering speaker stack sculptures, National Guard and Youth Summit (both 2023), offered a striking fusion of political commentary and sci-fi aesthetics. His work, including Midéegaadi: Lightning Bison (2022), challenges viewers to rethink ancestral technologies in futuristic contexts, as seen in his ongoing Future Ancestral Technologies series.
- Fritz Scholder (Luiseño): Scholder's Indian on Red Horse (1969) stood as a visceral critique of stereotypical representations of Native Americans. By juxtaposing bold painterly gestures with pop-art sensibilities, Scholder captured the complex intersections of identity, politics, and materiality, reshaping the genre and challenging romanticized depictions of Native life
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- Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Salish-Kootenai): Smith's I See Red: Indian Heart (1993) employed dissonant imagery, cartoons, and historical clippings to form a layered commentary on Native identity and environmentalism. Her use of the color red evokes themes of life, death, and resilience, amplifying the voices of Native communities through humor and poignancy.introspective experience that draws from her cultural roots.
Global South, Black and Latin American Contributions
- I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih (Indonesia): Known for her autobiographical and surrealist works, Murniasih’s pieces at Art Basel offered a deeply personal narrative, exploring themes of trauma, identity, and womanhood. Her vibrant and whimsical compositions drew viewers into a world where the boundaries of the body and mind are reimagined.
- Vanessa German (African American): German’s assemblage sculptures weave together found objects, textiles, and personal artifacts, confronting themes of identity, empowerment, and community. Her works speak to the resilience of marginalized voices, offering a vision of hope and transformation.
Queer Contemporary Reflection
- Erwin Olaf : Among the many works that moved me was Erwin Olaf's 1964 Broadcast. This work is a stunningly beautiful staged scene of two men casually watching a TV broadcast in a room that could be a home or an office lounge. Their arms hang between the chairs and their fingers lightly touch so as to show the deep sense of comfort between them-a desire to be connected in even mundane situations— or, perhaps, to show a sense of discomfort and a need to hide a relationship. Are they hopeful after the passing of the civil rights act? Or just bored on a smoke break at work?
- ChiChi & Giannone (Latin American): The artistic duo(and couple)'s installations reflect their exploration of heritage, memory, and contemporary identity. The tapestry showcased at this year's event was beautifully embroiled in vibrant colors and depicted playful, imaginative characters as part of a very Latin American jungle scape . At the center of the peace, the couple embroidered a self portrait wearing indigenous headdresses with feathers from tropical birds. By merging traditionally European techniques of tapestry making with Latin American and modern narratives, their works create a dialogue between past and present, culture and innovation.
Why Perspectives Matter in Luxury Design & Art Advisory Work
Incorporating art from Native American, Latin American, and other underrepresented communities adds depth to luxury interiors. This is not to say that all art with depth is minority art. However, these works tell stories that enrich spaces, moving beyond aesthetics to foster dialogue and representation. Many of these artists also reflect on important periods of social change that continue to impact all of us today.
Opportunities for Growth and Evolution
Both Art Basel and Design Miami succeeded in many areas, yet opportunities for improvement remain:
Deeper Integration & Thematic Organization
Art Basel’s organization is still designed as a showcase of galleries rather than as the world’s largest art curation. I’d love to see not only expanded collaborations with artists and designers from Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, but also an organization based on themes and media.
Funding For Emerging Global Artists & Gallerists
The high price of entry to global art shows like Art Basel, means that many emerging gallerists and artists will not present works that deserve to be seen. I’d love to see more outreach and funding across the Americas to bring new works to light.
Interactive Engagement with Attendees
I’d love to see a one-stop, shoppable website for all of the artists and galleries on display. I’d also love to see individual accounts created for Art Basel attendees and QR codes for pieces that can be scanned, so that art individuals want to know more about can seamlessly be added to an account for gallery follow up.
Your Partner in Luxury and Collectible Design
Art Basel and Design Miami 2024 were reminders of how art and design can transform spaces, generate conversation, and spark reflection. As a minority designer rooted in both tradition and innovation, I specialize in curating interiors that celebrate global artistry and luxury. From sourcing collectible furniture to incorporating works by emerging and minority artists, I help craft spaces that tell stories, spark conversation, and reflect those who occupy them.
If you’re interested in exploring pieces by these artists or others highlighted at Art Basel, I’d be delighted to arrange private gallery tours or provide introductions to the artists’ galleries. Visit More Wow to schedule a conversation about how these incredible works can transform your space.