Alcova, Miami 2024
Alcova returns to Miami for the second installment of its sister fair, which is part of the internationally acclaimed Milan-based event. This time, it will be held at the Miami River Inn, the city's oldest hotel, located in the Little Havana neighborhood.
During Miami Art Week, Milan-based design fair and platform Alcova featured both material and conceptual experimentation in its second Miami offshoot. This event added a crucial edge to the design aspects of Miami Art Week, highlighting conceptual design focused on sustainability, material reuse, and experimentation. Continuing the fair's legacy of presenting design in distinctive historic venues, this edition took place at the Miami River Inn, known as the city's oldest hotel, situated in the Little Havana neighborhood.
Studio LoopLoop - ‘Dye dye my Darling’
Studio LoopLoop, co-founded by Odin Visser and Charles Gateau in 2022, is a design studio that emphasizes research and focuses on sustainable, innovative production methods. Their commitment to reimagining production tools leads to the continuous development of para-industrial systems at their Rotterdam workshop. These systems enable them to create customized sustainable materials and products.
Unveiled at Alcova, the "Dye dye my darling" collection features distinct mono-material items emerging from LoopLoop’s latest material exploration. This range includes a selection of vases, a coffee table, and mirrors crafted from plant-dyed anodized aluminum, which exhibit intricate colors and patterns derived from their experimental methods. Additionally, a mini-research lab at the exhibition allows visitors to witness live experiments with local plant materials and offers insights into the studio’s customized techniques.
SoMad - ‘Mother Tree’
David Aliperti was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His work speaks of imagined worlds, ecosystems, and the intersectionality between nature, science and spirituality.
Mother Tree challenges established values in art and design. These small, detail-rich sculptures are handmade from dyed foam clay, requiring no tools. They are meditative, intuitive, and labor-intensive, with completion times spanning several months. The aim is to immerse viewers in distinct imagined worlds, creating emotional and abstract landscapes that foster personal connections without expectations. Each piece embodies nature's resilience and spirit, showcasing qualities vital for the survival of marginalized individuals and minority groups. The works belong to the Mother Tree series, created with SoMad, a New York art space led by femme and queer artists.
Lexus in Design - ‘Capsule Collection’
Lexus in Design unveils a limited edition capsule collection featuring 26 collectible design pieces, created in partnership with visionary designers like Germane Barnes, Michael Bennett (Studio Kër), Crafting Plastics, Suchi Reddy, and Tara Sakhi (T SAKHI). Each designer contributes a unique series of bespoke objects inspired by key aspects of the Lexus brand ethos–personalization, sustainability, materiality, technology, and performance. The collection includes items such as candle vessels and scent diffusers, which feature a new signature Lexus in Design fragrance developed alongside the eco-friendly fragrance brand, dilo.
Coinciding with this collection is 'Liminal Cycles', an immersive installation created with Crafting Plastics. This exhibition will be displayed at the ICA Miami sculpture garden during Miami Art & Design Week 2024 and delves into themes of software-enabled personalization, reactive technology, and sustainable materials, showcased through four large-scale, sensory-responsive sculptures inspired by the Lexus LF-ZC electric concept car. Building upon the ideas presented in 'Liminal Cycles', the Lexus in Design Capsule Collection harmoniously blends innovation with tradition, the fleeting with the collectible, and technology with human engagement, inviting viewers on a journey of luxury and personalization.
arrived aliens - ‘Traces’
Since moving to Miami in 2022, Katerina Oleinikova and Denis Gomes co-founded Arrived Aliens, an interior design studio dedicated to integrating local environmental and cultural influences into tailored designs. Their studio began with a collaborative design philosophy—conceptually linking projects to their specific locations while seeking a distinct language that transitions from meaning to form, texture, and color.
Motivated by Florida’s subtropical scenery, the exhibition at Alcova examines nature as an influential component in the artistic journey. The pieces, molded by natural shapes and textures, highlight the significance of the present moment—the event and the experience. Form and materiality are dynamic, revealing a progressive, evolving narrative of natural imprints.
Showcasing works from Arrived Aliens, Apollo Plants, Kristina Aksentova, and Joyce Billet, together with Nine Fourteen vintage gallery, the exhibition encourages us to explore the intricate ties among materiality, memory, and the vital essence of place.
Something Last - ‘Something Last’
Something Last is a meditative design exhibition that encourages visitors to connect with the timeless core of visual expression, featuring works from artists such as Cindy Hsu Zell, Devin Wilde, Mary Ratcliffe Studio, Jialun Xiong, Vy Voi Studio, and Xiaoyan Wei. Curated by Studio/JIALUN XIONG, the exhibit provides a brief escape from Miami’s extravagance through subtle and enduring pieces that focus on the essential elements: shape, dot, line, light, and shadow.
The absence of color in Something Last eliminates distractions, guiding visitors to explore emotional depth that goes beyond mere hues. Each thoughtfully designed sequence of visual repetitions—hypnotic geometric shapes and rhythmic parallel lines present in furnishings, lighting fixtures, tabletops, vases, and wall hangings—establishes a visual language that feels relevant yet timeless.
While emphasizing purity and simplicity, Something Last cultivates a serene, meditative atmosphere that gently encourages viewers to slow down and engage deeply with the profound dialogue among the design’s core elements. In this tranquil environment, each subtle detail is elevated, fostering an experience that inspires contemplation beyond the exhibition and leaving a lasting impression of tranquility and introspection.
Kevin Quale - ‘Nice Cock…’
Kevin Quale is an artist and designer based in NYC, known for his ceramic creations that blend traditional formal styles with a modern gay perspective.
“Nice Cock…” showcases Kevin Quale's gay surrealist ceramics, which reinterpret classic 17th-century Delftware forms through a queer lens. This exhibition mimics a Dutch still life, substituting traditional symbols such as fruit and lobsters with icons from contemporary gay culture, like poppers and chicken nuggets. Elements like tulipieres, candelabras, and chandeliers are given a playful gay makeover. Spouts transform into phallic shapes, a chandelier climaxes to light up the scene, and hand-painted sperm creates intricate floral designs around vases. The overall composition reflects the spirited aftermath of a raucous gay afterparty in a Miami hotel room, presenting a beautifully chaotic tableau.
crafting plastics! studio - ‘Feel the Matter’
crafting plastics! studio is an award-winning circular design and research studio located in Bratislava, Slovakia, established in 2016 by Vlasta Kubušová and Miroslav Král. The studio specializes in cross-disciplinary research, development, and the integration of innovative eco-friendly biocomposites into everyday life. By merging science with design, cp!s transforms the properties, aesthetics, and values of biodegradable materials, ranging from natural bioplastics to sustainable biocomposites used in design and architecture.
Their project investigates how simple materials can be transformed into valuable objects through both creative and technical methods. Beginning with scrap wood, we uncover its distinctive grain and texture using various surface treatments. This textured surface is then imprinted onto aluminium, a completely recycled industrial material, which acts as a container that showcases the wood’s organic beauty. This transmutation process transforms raw elements into one-of-a-kind pieces, reshaping perceptions of their inherent value.
RA Workshop - ‘Rubberworks’
Sculptor and furniture designer Richard Aybar, the creative mind behind RA Workshop, skillfully interacts with materials in his impactful designs. His relationship with materiality is fundamental to his artistry. He adeptly balances natural and synthetic components, and his deep knowledge of the tactile properties and historical significance of his materials adds a distinctive richness to his work.
In Aybar’s exhibition Rubberworks at Alcova, the collection of gold-tone incandescent objects does not stem from postmodern alchemy but is crafted from organic primordial ooze. His rocking chair, lamps, vases, and innovative love seat table, cast in rubber, take on both basic and historically inspired forms that highlight their elemental materiality. With functional and tactile designs, these pieces entice us to appreciate their resilient, radiant, and luxurious textures. Encased in striking amber silhouettes, Aybar’s collection stimulates our natural fascination with this enigmatic, versatile material, evoking connections with its physical properties and the symbolism of rubber.
AnanasAnanas - ‘1,033 Tangerines’
Ananas Ananas is a culinary art studio founded by Verónica González and Elena Petrossian. They specialise in creating edible art installations and dining experiences that encourage their audience to engage with food in a sensory and experimental way. These experiences are designed to be ephemeral, promoting mindful enjoyment and nurturing moments of intimate presence.
For their exhibition at Alcova, they presented “1,033 Tangerines." It takes 17,572.84 gallons of water—represented by the amount of water in the pool— to produce 200 pounds of tangerines, or roughly 1,033 pieces. The tangerines are displayed on rotating stainless steel vessels, a large-scale reinterpretation of one of the studio’s tableware objects, for guests to consume during the duration of Alcova.
The studio is committed to reimagining food production systems and highlighting significant actions against food waste. The duo aims to connect audiences both individually and collectively through the food they enjoy. Since 2019, they have created works for exhibitions, openings, and venues that blend artistic with commercial purposes.
Marco Zelli - ‘NEFERTITI’
Marco Zelli is a Zurich-based architect and designer whose work investigates the relationship between the enduring and the fleeting. He employs various styles, from ironic to practical, and works across different scales, encompassing both architecture and design.
At the fair, he showcases Nefertiti, designed as a versatile modular element that can be variously configured (as an array, totem, or shelf) or used independently. Magnetic devices are strategically positioned on the top, back, and bottom of the lighting fixture, while a steel plate matching the lamp's color offers an appliqué option. Nefertiti captivates with its combination of strict geometry and playful color, as well as the intriguing reflection created on the 45-degree mirrored panel, inviting diverse interpretations. Despite its striking design, Nefertiti is crafted from folded and bonded aluminum, ensuring a lightweight structure capable of achieving a geometry that would otherwise be difficult to realize.
GIOPAGANI - ‘Chase Eternity’
GIOPAGANI’s aesthetic concept represents a dialogue between memory and material, transforming design into an emotional narrative. It is inspired by the fluidity of organic modernism and the timeless sophistication of Italian style, complemented by the artisanal skill of select Italian craftsmen. In Alcova’s setting, Giovanni Pagani reimagines the space as a sensory landscape—a monochromatic backdrop where colors are subdued and transformed into an atmospheric presence. This subtle stage enhances the perception of surrounding objects, allowing the product to take center stage in its own story. "Chase Eternity" serves as a bold invitation for the audience to push boundaries, encouraging them to seek out the unique and personal—a narrative that endures beyond trends and styles.
Make_Good_ & Center for Subtropical Affairs - ‘Outside/In’
Make_Good_ is a design studio in LA and New York, committed to sustainable planetary design. It bridges built and digital environments, enabling all species to support their communities.
The Center for Subtropical Affairs and The Miami Tropical Botanic Garden, located a few blocks from Alcova in Little Haiti, encompasses the last 3 acres of green space in Miami's urban core. It showcases rare species and a community-focused garden adaptation, actively seeking support to remain open and foster Miami's horticultural practices.
For Alcova, the brand presented the installation Outside/In, an immersive, living experience at Alcova, Miami. Outside/In features modular self-watering planters, rare and ancient plant life, generative plant-powered epiphytic audio, and a site-specific horticultural design that combine to create a dynamic, regenerative environment. Outside/In supports the Miami Tropical Botanic Garden, located in Miami's Little Haiti neighbourhood, featuring some of the last three remaining acres of contiguous green space in the heart of Miami. This magical urban garden includes a natural spring and lake, providing a unique horticultural and landscape design experience, where native Everglades species, rare tropical, and global plant life intersect with spatial and object design, art, and science.
Studio Victor Miklos Andersen x Studio Villiam Miklos Andersen / ‘Zealand’
Villiam Miklos Andersen and Victor Miklos Andersen grew up in Asnæs, a rugged headland on Zealand, Denmark, where steep cliffs rise above dense forests and expansive meadows. This distinctive coastal landscape, molded by natural forces and human history alike, has significantly shaped their creative endeavors. Their collaborative project for Alcova Miami 2024, named Zealand, draws inspiration directly from this environment, echoing the brothers’ inquiries into identity, nature, and the future of design.
Victor Miklos Andersen is an innovative designer and artist celebrated for his experimental techniques with materials and technology, spanning production, education, and exhibition realms. His projects encompass digital media, tangible objects, and performance art, with standout presentations like Laguna Antropica at the Venice Art Biennale (2024) and Bloko in Copenhagen (2023). Collaborations with Antonio Davanzo (Blok 748) and Leo Orta (OrtaMiklos) have further influenced his diverse practice. Notably, his works are part of the Centre Pompidou's collection. Meanwhile, Villiam Miklos Andersen, who divides his time between Frankfurt and Føllenslev, investigates the effects of contemporary male-centered work environments on personal lives, addressing themes of sensitivity, care, and romance. His recent exhibitions include Caffè Crema (Overgaden) and The Pawn Shop (documenta fifteen).
Furn Object - ‘Sanctuary’
Founded in 2022 by Anna and Sergii Baierzdorf, Furn Object is a Ukrainian brand known for its handcrafted furniture and decor that elegantly combines individual expression, creativity, and enduring craftsmanship. Their goal is to promote comfort through self-expression, instilling joy and inspiration while encouraging you to indulge in unique pieces that bring a sense of freedom.
This installation promotes sensory engagement with sustainable materials, linking human interaction with dynamic and responsive elements. It fosters an evolving ecosystem where scent enriches our connection to biomaterials and encourages a rethinking of the separation between the physical and the sensory.
Studio TOOJ - ‘Between Realms: The Known and the Untold’
Studio TOOJ is a design studio based in Stockholm, Sweden, founded by the creative pair Johan Wilén and Ashley Chong. They redefine Scandinavian design principles, exploring the intersection of art and design to provide a new take on simplicity that harmonizes functionality with exceptional craftsmanship.
The studio invites you to explore the fundamental dualities of its design philosophy, where the timeless meets the future. Their functional art pieces, crafted by skilled carpenters and stonemasons, celebrate the allure of traditional materials. They showcased their collaboration with Reishi™ by MycoWorks—a groundbreaking material entirely grown from mycelium, the fascinating roots of fungi. Additionally, it features a distinctive centerpiece from Alcova Milano—a 3D-printed sand console table that reimagines the ideas of form and substance. This collection exemplifies the future of sustainable craftsmanship, with each piece embodying the dialogue between the known and the yet-to-be-explored, blending tradition with innovation and encapsulating a Scandinavian aesthetic that is both stylish and pioneering, familiar yet forward-thinking.
Objects of Common Interest - ‘Reflections of Now’
Eleni Petaloti and Leonidas Trampoukis are the creative team behind the studio Objects of Common Interest. They engage in art, design, and architecture, successfully merging a range of projects including objects, installations, and interactive immersive environments, as well as interior spaces.
This project is inspired by childhood memories influenced by close family, viewed through a kaleidoscopic lens. The pavilion's multifaceted mirror panels and octagonal shape reflect how these memories change over time, mirroring our life journeys. Just as memories can appear hazy, so does the kaleidoscope's effect—its crystals and colors shift with each change in perspective. When someone peers through the same kaleidoscope, they experience a completely different image, despite looking at the same crystals.
Theo Galliakis - ‘Amphora’ / Sheyang Li - ‘Elemental Patchwork’
Theo Galliakis
Galliakis’s artwork embodies the "clear expression of intricate ideas," a sentiment shared by Donald Judd. His method focuses on spirituality and the transformation of materials.
Amphora takes cues from ancient Greek amphoras, which were utilized for the transport and storage of wine and water. Among these were several gold amphoras—gold representing kingship and the bond between humans and the divine—offered as gifts to gods for blessings or to express reverence. In our modern age of abundance, my "faux-gold” amphoras act as tributes to the present-day Pantheon.
Sheyang Li
As a designer working at the intersection of object design and sculpture, Sheyang emphasizes research and refines his production methods.
The Elemental Patchwork represents a study of balance and transformation, illustrated through a complex blend of metals cast at high temperatures. Each metal, distinct in origin and composition, combines with others to create a composition that appears chaotic yet is thoughtfully designed.
Konqrit by Cecilia Garcia Galore - ‘Fusión’
The innovative Buenos Aires brand, which debuted in Argentina in 2023 and gained international recognition in 2024 through its exhibitions at Salone del Mobile and Maison et Objet, is known for its bespoke bathtubs featuring artistic and literary enhancements.
Cecilia García Galofre showcases her bathroom design, "Fusión," where her brand Konqrit's bathtubs and furniture merge with 3D projection. This invites the user-spectator to immerse themselves in a sensitive space that reimagines daily moments of pause and self-care.
