Miami Design District Offers Creative Exhibits Through Winter 2022

As a native Miamian I enjoy the excitement and art exhibits of Art Basel, but I’m happy when the crowds are gone. I’m even more delighted that art programming will remain at the Miami Design District through the winter, ranging from pop-up galleries to fashion, design and tech moments & collabs. Many of these programs are free and/or open to the public.

The “Design District” comes from the name given in the 1980s to a section of Miami’s “Old Florida” Buena Vista neighborhood, a dozen streets north of Wynwood. By the 1990s, this precinct of furniture and home-décor showrooms and warehouses had grown seedy.

Today the Design District is ultra-high end — Miami’s version of Rodeo Drive, plus art and an international vibe — with modern architecture and a few classic art-deco buildings, upscale interior design stores and art galleries and museums. Luxury fashion and jewelry boutiques, cafes and celebrity-chef restaurants draw a sophisticated, glam crowd.

Public art is set within the area, on buildings including parking garages, in sculptures murals, pop-ups and iconic creations including the Fly’s Eye Dome, a geodesic dome designed by inventor Buckminster Fuller.

2021 Annual Design Commission: Tomorrow Land

The Miami Design District unveiled Tomorrow Land, a physical and virtual site-specific installation created by Studio Proba and Enjoy the Weather for the neighborhood’s Annual Design Commission 2021. Tomorrow Land features a series of playfully designed sculptures, seating, and ornamentation, created by Studio Proba in her signature style.

In addition to the physical components woven throughout the neighborhood, the installation boasts an interactive, virtual game created by Enjoy the Weather.

A dedicated app built around AR technology and proximity beacons which allow visitors to “collect” and digitally customize Studio Proba’s shapes and place their own custom totems throughout the neighborhood—and beyond—for other participants to discover and play with.

Dates: November 2021 – May 2022

Location: Miami Design District as well as the entrance of Design Miami/ in Pride Park 

Louis Vuitton Objets Nomades Collection

Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades Collection celebrates the Maison’s long-tradition of exceptional craftsmanship and heritage through travel-inspired objects that reflect the collaborative, contemporary visions of a diverse group of internationally-renowned designers.

From a hammock to a foldable stool, an armchair to a room screen, each limited-edition object transcends the creative boundaries of design, showcasing the Maison’s attention to complex craftsmanship and artistic innovation.

This December, Louis Vuitton has expanded its Objets Nomades collection by transforming its Miami Design District stores into an immersive Objets Nomades installation, highlighting new pieces for 2021, including Merengue and Aguacate by the Campana Brothers, Cosmic Table by Raw Edges and a Petal Chair by Marcel Wanders.

The men’s store façade is based on the Marcel Wanders Studio Objets Nomades Diamond Screen, where Marcel reinterprets Louis Vuitton’s historic Monogram motif and the canework that once adorned LV trunks. The color and sensationalism of the pattern adapted to the new men’s store façade screen pays homage to Miami Modernist architectural style.

The Women’s store’s façade is temporarily wrapped in a burst of woven colors, patterned after a new Objet Nomade by the Campana Brothers. Inside, Patricia Urquiola has curated an enveloping exhibition of the universe of Objets Nomades, a journey through the artistic perspectives of all the Objets Nomades collaborators and an exceptional survey of the Maison’s heritage and savoir-faire.

Tod’s Mosaic Collection

Tod’s, the iconic Italian brand known for timeless elegance and understated luxury, celebrates its MOSAIC Collection. Tod’s limited edition collection is comprised of shopping totes and pouches, all made using an upcycled process. With a focus on sustainability, the MOSAIC Collection gives new life to materials that would otherwise remain unused, and transforms them into timeless, sustainable objects.

Tod’s has joined forces with American contemporary artist Willie Cole, who is known for creating three-dimensional art pieces from existing materials, to create unique sculptures made from recycled Tod’s leather and unused production materials.

ARTCYCLING is a creative project based on the same values as Tod’s MOSAIC Collection and is brought to life by Willie Cole in collaboration with Tod’s artisans. on view at the Tod’s Miami Design District boutique through December 6th.

Miami Design District Program Of Galleries And Cultural Exhibitions

• Goodman Gallery. Dates: November 24 – end of January 2022
• Galerie Lelong. Dates: November 28 – February 28, 2022
• Shoes + Art by Matthew Chevallard. Dates: November 28 – ongoing
• Uncool Artists. Dates: November 30 – January 8, 2022
• Climax by Jean Thierry Besins. Dates: November 2021 – February 2022

• ICA, The Institute of Contemporary Art, shows cutting-edge work in an ultra-modern building. Dates: October 2021 – April 2022
• ‘The Grotto’ by Emmet Moore. Dates: ongoing