Alcova, Miami 2023
Alcova, one of the most widely followed projects in the Fuorisalone, Milan Design Week, launches its first international outpost, marking its debut in Miami as part of Miami art week 2023.
The exhibition unfolded in the unique spaces of the Selina Gold Dust Motel, one of the most iconic and classically ‘Miami’ motels located on Biscayne Boulevard in the MiMo district. Alcova Miami 2023 presented a lineup featuring projects that brought together institutions, established and emerging brands, a diverse array of design studios, and a cross-section of emerging talents, exploring the themes of sustainability, innovation, emerging talent, craft, research and sensory design. See below just a few highlights from the debut edition.
Richard Aybar - RUBBERWORKS
The collection of gold tone incandescent objects in Richard Aybar’s exhibition RUBBERWORKS are formed from organic primordial ooze. Cast in rubber, Aybar’s rocking chair, lamps, vases and innovative love seat table assume elementary and historicized shapes that accentuate their raw materiality. His functional and tactile designs invite us to marvel at their resistant, resplendent, and sumptuous textures. Suspended in captivating amber silhouettes, Aybar’s collection provokes our inherent attraction to this mysterious polymorphic substance, triggering our associations with both the materiality and iconography of his chosen medium, rubber.
Hannah Lim
While they are described as snuff bottles, Hannah Lim’s creations are far larger than traditional ones, often without a stopper and sometimes quite anthropomorphic. These ‘bottles’ capture elements of Lim’s identity, particularly those associated with her Chinese heritage, sometimes stamped with her namesake chop, decorated with clay copies of her grandmother’s jade pendants, and topped with Singapore’s national flower: an orchid. Snuff bottles are intended to be personal, fitting inside of the owner's palm; furthermore, not only is their visual intricacy an essential factor, but also their texture; snuff bottles are meant to be held, so they should have a ‘pleasant tactile quality’.
Bieke Casteleyn - Out Of Line
Out of Line has become an icon of Belgian refinement and craftsmanship with its skilfully designed, organic contours. One that has been translated into a carefully considered collection of functional objects: dining tables, coffee tables, desks, consoles, benches and more. The objects in the collection appear to be created intuitively – in which the result is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. The shapes are the product of Bieke Casteleyn’s research, experimentation and architectural insights. They offer a surprising new take on the traditional table and its setting. Whether it’s an intimate tête-à-tête at the dining table, a meeting at your desk or a cosy family get-together around the coffee table, the welcoming design evokes a strong sense of connection.
crafting plastics! studio - Senseables
A showcase of innovative interior pieces crafted from biodegradable materials, designed to interact with their surroundings. The presentation at Alcova featured two collections of bioplastic furniture pieces, which were engineered to visualize UV radiation and made the most of the latest fabrication technologies. There was a series of 3D-printed vases from Collection 12, and the experimental interior divider Sensbiom 2.1, all produced using the studio’s own signature material, NUATAN®.
JOV - Jov & Mary Lennox - MSHWY04
Studio Mary Lennox drew inspiration for the collection name from the collaborative qualities of mushrooms and the way they connect through an intelligent communications network (MycorrhizalNetwork), which, through symbiosis with other species in their environment, can extend collaboration with different living species in an ecosystem. This intricate and complex organic communication system is often called the ‘Mycelium Superhighway’ or the “Wood Wide Web”. ”The collection name is M-SHWY (pronounced MS Highway), which is an acronym for Mycorrhizal Super Highway (or, in simpler terms- Mushroom Superhighway).
The collection focuses more on the organic textures and unique characteristics of the oyster mushroom. These species are a source of inspiration for Studio Mary Lennox’s study of organic compositions, natural textures and unique and exciting members of the natural and botanical world
Jialun Xiong - Before The Eclipse
Before the Eclipse is an immersive solo exhibition introducing two new celestial-inspired light fixtures along with architectural furnishings, table lamps, and ceramic tableware sets designed to emulate the dark vastness of space. Xiong’s exhibition explores the natural curiosity and unexplainable calm of our galaxy with planet-like light fixtures that appear to float in mid-air. Washed in Xiong’s signature black-and-white gradient hues, Before the Eclipse also invites a meditative experience that emphasises texture, material, and craft–key design traits that often take a backseat to colour.
Adarsh Nellore - Unobjects™
We often tend to value the data that describes a physical object more than the object itself, making the implied more important than the actual and making objects (un)objects. Through his collection, Unobjects™, designer Adarsh Nellore investigates the presence of unobjects in our world by crafting everyday objects with data that implies their form. Through generative algorithms, photogrammetry, and advanced additive manufacturing techniques, the designer is able to recreate abstracted forms from furniture to human anatomies, demonstrating a new age of design in which data becomes material, and forms are determined by machine perception rather than human deduction.
Caleb Ferris, Forma Rosa Studio, NJ Roseti, Studio Sam Klemick, Tristan Louis Marsh, Wallpaper Projects - Uncharted
Born out of a curiosity to seek outside the realm of our current knowledge, Uncharted embarks on a journey into unmapped spheres, featuring six artists from three corners of the country. Across wood, ceramics, metal, and textiles, the six studios were challenged to push their creative boundaries, presenting in Uncharted fresh techniques in their ongoing exploration within their own individual practices. Plumbing the depths of the unfamiliar within their innovative practices and processes, the six design studios in Uncharted present an exhibition of functional art that offers new perspectives on the unrelenting human impetus to explore new worlds. Uncharted invites viewers to embrace a sense of discovery in an artfully curated environment where certainty fades and the unknown beckons.
Zachary A. Design - It’s Not Paper
‘Paper’ was created to lift expressive artwork from two dimensions into three, experiencing a drawing in new and unexpected ways. Each fold tells part of a story. One can imagine the artist’s aggressive movements as each mark is made. Users can place their hands around a fold and feel how the paper was formed for balance and aesthetics. The process developed to release the art from the page may be more impressive. The folded drawing acts as a mould. Every crinkle is preserved in the mould-making process. A cast is made from the inside, allowing the graphite lines to embed into the finished piece. The exterior paper mould is cracked away piece by piece and the drawing that initiated the process is revealed, transformed into a functional object, artistry intact.
Atelier001 - Made In London
Atelier001 offers a collection of lighting and furniture designs made in London. The brand values the individual character of every object they produce. From the moment an idea takes shape to the final touches, each piece is infused with the passion, dedication and experience of their artisans. This attention to detail ensures that every Atelier001 creation is truly one-of-a-kind, bearing the unmistakable mark of human artistry and skill.
