The art world often travels to Florida for two contemporary art and design fairs at the beginning of December. While Art Basel Miami Beach is regarded as the best art fair in the Americas, Design Miami serves as the venue for valuable design. With a large-scale celebration comprising 282 participating modern and contemporary art galleries, the latter is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Additionally, the affluent collectors who come in great numbers for this week-long celebration of art and design serve as a powerful draw for watch and jewelry companies. Collectors may also be looking at limited-edition jewelry or watches while they browse the paintings, sculptures, and now digital artworks.
Luxury labels have realised the potential behind these fairs and brands such as Cartier, Bulgari and Harry Winston have all entertained clients with exclusive dinners and events for those in town for the fairs.
The Swiss corporation MCH Group, which once organized Baselworld, the most prestigious watch and jewelry expo, before it was cancelled due to the epidemic, is the owner of Art Basel. Therefore, there is already a connection between brands and organizers. While Audemars Piguet, which has cooperated with Art Basel for 10 years, has commissioned artists to build new installations for the Miami Beach show, watchmakers Hublot and Tag Heuer threw large parties for collectors and their brand ambassadors during the Miami fairs in 2021.
According to Audrey Teichmann, co-curator of art at AP, the benefit is that "these fairs bring together worldwide audiences and function as a rallying point for the art world." This provides the company with a broader platform from which to introduce new modern art to their audience.
Dolce & Gabbana, the fair's partner, will debut one-of-a-kind jewelry items at Design Miami that fuse retro design with modern workmanship. Since its start, the show has sought for historic and contemporary jewelry galleries, constantly broadening its selection as demand increases. It is noted for its contemporary and aesthetic design.
She claims that because the interests of visitors are varied, Design Miami presents them to historical and modern items that span the gamut of design treasures, including furniture, lighting, objets d'art, and, of course, jewelry. London gallerist Elisabetta Cipriani, who is returning after a six-year absence, and longtime exhibitor New York gallery Ornamentum are among others in attendance.
“It is our favourite event of the year,” says Stefan Friedemann, co-owner and director of Ornamentum in New York, who is exhibiting the unconventional and irreverent jewellery of Karl Fritsch and Jiro Kamata. “The energy is unparalleled, and there’s a mix of collectors from all across the US, Europe and South America that are always excited to see experimental contemporary works, both for on the body and in the home.” He describes them as “art world, moneyed people looking to acquire bold collector pieces” and, significantly, “clients that are younger than at many other fairs we’ve done, which is extremely important for the growth of contemporary jewellery”.
