DESIGN MIAMI/ BASEL II A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT SEPT 20 – 26 2021

New York, NY – (September 16, 2021) For Friedman Benda’s participation at Design Miami/ Basel (September 20-26, 2021), the gallery will present a setting inspired by A Midsummer’s Night. In a group exhibition layered with intrigue and inuendo, each work plays its own role within a unique cast of characters engaged in an unscripted dialogue. Weaving together diverse narratives from pioneers in the field who bring fantasy into daily domestic life, the result is an imaginary landscape staged in one act. 

Utilizing ad hoc processes, the French and Danish creative duo OrtaMiklos debuts their new Sunset Phenomena inspired by the radiant color palette of a sunset. London-based Faye Toogood premieres her Assemblage 6 Unlearning series in Europe. For this collection, she set out to ‘unlearn’ the process of design and built it up again from scratch with the playfully rough-hewn yet precisely executed full-scale ‘maquettes.’ 

Drawing from his lifelong interest in mathematics, philosophy, world religions and spirituality, a centerpiece of this presentation will be a groundbreaking new chandelier by Switzerland-based designer Ini Archibong in anticipation of his first solo exhibition opening at the gallery in October. 

Marking her debut presentation in her home country of Switzerland, Los Angeles-based artist Carmen D’Apollonio explores the spectrum from abstraction to figuration with this body of work that has been in development for over two years. With her signature playful sense of humor, D’Apollonio realizes intuitive renditions of familiar objects and human forms in clay and bronze.

Providing an anchor for this contemporary midsummer night dream stage is a key work by Wendell Castle – Caligari’s Mistress’s Desk and Chair from 1990, which references the 1919 German expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Artists included in this presentation: Korea-based Byung Hoon Choi, Chile creative group gt2P (Great Things to People), Brooklyn-based Misha Kahn, Los Angeles-based Adam Silverman, and London-based Jonathan Trayte. 

About Friedman Benda

Friedman Benda identifies and advances key narratives that intersect contemporary design, craft, architecture, fine art, and cutting-edge technological research. The gallery promotes synthesis between leading creative thinkers and makers by creating opportunities to advance new connections within the global design community. Friedman Benda is committed to a critical view of design history. We aim to expand the design dialogue from its established sources, exploring perspectives that have previously been marginalized. Spanning five continents and four generations, Friedman Benda represents a roster of seminal established and emerging designers, as well as historically significant estates. Since 2007, the gallery’s exhibitions, publications and collaborations with institutions have played a vital role in the development of the contemporary design market and scholarship. Dedicated to archiving the pioneering voices in our field, the gallery hosts Design in Dialogue, a weekly series of online interviews with leading architects, designers, curators, and critics. For further information please visit www.friedmanbenda.com and the gallery’s Instagram @friedman_benda and YouTube channel.