The Design Miami fair, on view through Sunday, always ranks as one of the must-see stops on the international design circuit—it’s a high-end smorgasbord, and thirty thousand visitors are expected. This year, thirty galleries have gathered under a white tent across the street from Art Basel Miami Beach, the anchor event of the wildly successful and over-the-top fair week that is now in its tenth year.
Dealers are upbeat about sales, though the overall vibe of the show is slightly more sedate. What’s thrilling this round is the tension between the idea of practical design—stuff that you can actually use—and conceptual design—pieces that push the boundaries and are indistinguishable from fine art.
On the practical-but-gorgeous end of the continuum is Jean Prouvé’s Bridge FB11 office chair from 1951, a nominally utilitarian piece with eye-grabbing lines (the back leg is a striking triangular shape right out of a Calder mobile) and upholstery in stunning scarlet leather. Shown by renowned Parisian gallerist Patrick Seguin, it’s a rare piece and will run you $135,000. Says Seguin, “This is architect’s furniture. Prouvé thought there was no difference between building a chair and building a building.”
Jean Pouvé, Bridge FB11 office chair, ca. 1951
Courtesy Galerie Patrick Seguin
