Design Miami + Memphis Miami
To celebrate the 20th edition of Design.Miami, the annual global design fair during Miami Art Week, Basic.Space showcased two groundbreaking projects that pushed the boundaries of design and redefined the relationship between art, commerce, and creativity.
Team
Basic.Space
DELIVERABLES
Talent/Partner Management, Activation Planning, Concept Development, Brand Identity, Creative Direction
Year
2024
Role
Talent Curation + Event Production
The first, a reimagined gift shop, transformed the traditional retail booth into a stunning environment that epitomized both marketplace and gallery. Curated with a selection of exclusive, limited-edition items, the space embodied our commitment to avant-garde design, offering visitors not just products, but an experience that engaged all senses.
Situated at the heart of the prestigious fair, The Shop at Design Miami, presented by Basic.Space was designed not just as a commercial space, but as an immersive experience that blurred the lines between retail, art installation, and conceptual design. Drawing inspiration from the ever-evolving landscape of digital and physical spaces, our goal was for the booth to serve as Basic.Space actualized: a fully curated showroom that encouraged visitors to explore the tactile and sensory qualities of design, while also pushing the boundaries of traditional retail.
To truly "bring Basic.Space to life," we crafted an one-of-a-kind retail space within the historic fair that would showcase our collaborative nature while complementing each brand’s distinctive identity.The Shop featured a carefully selected range of unique, limited-edition products, from avant-garde home accessories to cutting-edge design objects, many of which were new creations and collaborations between Basic.Space and prominent designers and artists. From brands like Tsu Lange Yor, Guffram, and NM3 to creatives like Devon Ojas, Ben Willett, and Raiffe Glass, we hand-sellected a vast array of partners that spoke to the essence of Basic.Space: curation built for you, dictated only by quality and timelessness.
We partnered with Ben Willett to conceptualize our booth who gave its architecture was a striking blend of futuristic minimalism, with an emphasis on sustainability and craftsmanship. We then hand-arranged and merchandised the space, ensuring that products with organic forms or industrial designs could complement and flow between one another seamlessly.
Given the setting of Design.Miami—a hub for design innovation and high-end collectible works—our offerings needed to be both functional and highly collectible, speaking to culture's growing interest in homeware and design.
The outcome was a visionary approach to design that successfully blended the artistic expression of each featured brand and creative while highlighting each of their strengths. Our design integrated experiential and conceptual elements, evoking a highly-curated and particular atmosphere - part gallery, part listening room, part gift shop - and allowing each object to feel at home.
The second project, Capsule X Basic.Space: Memphis Miami, celebrated the iconic Memphis design movement through a collaborative exhibition that reinterpreted its bold, colorful aesthetic in a modern context. Featuring exclusive works from renowned artist Katherine Bernhardt, this installation captured the irreverent spirit of Memphis Milano while exploring its continued influence in culture.
Memphis Milano is a cult, Italian design brand known for being at the forefront fo the bold 1980s design movement so when Milan-based magazine and curatorial platform Capsule sought to amplify the celebrated phenomenon with an eye-catching new exhibition in Miami's Design District, they enlisted Basic.Space to enrich the showcase.
Inspired by American artist Katherine Bernhardt, one of the most energetic painters working today and a passionate Memphis collector, we celebrated the special collaboration between the Italian and American creatives with a collection of art, designs objects, rugs, and merchandise, all informed by surrealism and pop art.
To position the exhibition at the heart of cultural conversation, we took over a gallery space within the accessible streets of the Design District, where our target audience works, plays, and gathers—especially during Miami Art Week. As a result, we were adjacent to all the action during the event-filled days for passersby while inviting artists, collectors, and fans via our digital channels.
Our approach was to craft a playful and flamboyant exhibition space, allowing Memphis’ vibrant colors and motifs to cheerfully enhance the experience-pulling in youthful energy and culture only Miami can. In honor of the one-of-a-kind collaboration between Memphis x Katherine Bernhardt, we transformed the space to present Memphis’ era-defining design icons alongside an exclusive, limited-edition series of rugs Bernhardt produced for the occasion. The spatial design included the signature abstract patern of the Memphis Design movement at the entrance and bubblegum-hued walls inside, reminiscent of the Pink House in Miami—a colour which also inspired Bernhardt in decorating her postmodernist villa in St. Louis and in her ongoing “Pink Panther” series.
Alongside Katherine Bernhardt’s new series of postmodern-inspired rugs and Memphis Milano design icons, we also offered the latest issue of Capsule magazine and a range of exclusive “Memphis Miami” apparel specifically created for the exhibition, empowering attendees to take the immersive pop-surrealist experience with them.
The exhibition was a success, with the opening night having guest spill out into the street—an indicator of BerNhardt’s artistic reputation and Memphis' cultural legacy. All of which further reflected the intimacy and authentic nature of the partnership, as though guests were entering the ECLECTICLY creative halls of BerNhardt's own home