Wallpaper reminds us that Design Art, that amorphous designation that is rapidly coming into shape with the growing interest in Marc Newson and the Lalannes, is still a category defining itself. Events like Design Miami are part of that process:

The Design Art has undoubtedly had – Wallpaper not excepted – its fair share of detractors. Last year’s market meltdown further dirtied the waters as collectors and galleries alike all struggled to define what it was all about, and how such astronomical figures could be justified. Making it more complicated still was the way contemporary and newly commissioned works were being intermingled with vintage works by the mid-century masters.

At this year’s Design Miami there was a great deal more of the new, and for all that we love a nice Prouve to perch on, the show was all the better for it.

The show, housed in a temporary space designed once again by ArandaLasch, saw just 14 galleries exhibiting – all of them strong enough to withstand the recent financial turbulence, and evidence perhaps that the metaphorical wheat and chaff have to some extent now been separated.

Favourites from previous years were Moss (New York), Johnson Trading Gallery (New York) and Patrick Seguin (Paris), joined by brilliant displays from Mitterand + Kramer (Geneva), Seomi Gallery (Seoul) and Paul Kamsin (New York).

Design Miami 2009 Report (Wallpaper)