DESIGNBOOM guide to miami art week 2024
Art and design lovers from around the globe are heading to Florida for Miami Art & Design Week, one of the coastal city‘s most coveted annual events. From December 1st — 8th, Art Basel Miami Beach and Design Miami take center stage, opening their doors to collectors and enthusiasts alike. With perfect weather in the forecast and a lineup that blends world-class art fairs, public activations, exhibitions, and parties, the Magic City transforms into the ultimate creative hub. Whether you’re here for the fairs, the city-wide art installations, or the museum exhibitions, this guide has everything you need to make the most of Miami Art & Design Week 2024.
image ©Kian Lem
Design Miami
Design Miami returns to Miami Beach for its 20th edition. Curated by Glenn Adamson under the theme Blue Sky, this event brings together over 45 leading galleries to explore the transformative potential of imaginative, boundary-pushing design. The theme celebrates design as an optimistic and collective endeavor, showcasing works that reflect bold innovation, material ingenuity, and a shared global perspective. This edition marks a year of significant expansion for Design Miami, following successful fairs in Los Angeles, Basel, and Paris.
Gallery highlights include The Future Perfect’s presentation of nearly 100 new works from emerging and established designers such as Anina Major, Chris Wolston, and Vikram Goyal, who makes his U.S. debut. Inspired by the interplay of day and night under a singular sky, their booth balances contemporary design with artisanal craftsmanship. Through the lens of Blue Sky, the fair reaffirms its role as a platform for visionary design, celebrating two decades of showcasing the best in historic and contemporary creativity.
what: Design Miami
where: Convention Center Drive & 19th Street, Miami Beach
when: December 3rd, 2024 (VIP preview), December 4th — 8th, 2024 (public)
image courtesy Design Miami
Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach returns under the new direction of Bridget Finn. This year’s edition features 286 galleries from 38 countries, with over two-thirds hailing from the Americas, reflecting its unique position at the cultural crossroads of Miami Beach. Exhibitors will present an array of exceptional Modern and contemporary works across six sectors, including the main Galleries section, thematic Kabinett presentations, and specialized areas like Nova for recent works, Positions for emerging talent, and Survey for historical art predating 2000. Complementing the fair is a public ‘Conversations’ program, offering talks with leading voices in the art world.
Marking its fifth anniversary, the Meridians sector, curated by Yasmil Raymond, highlights large-scale, institutionally ambitious projects at the south end of the show floor. Featuring seventeen works by international artists, many created this year, Meridians explores themes of transformation, democracy, and climate change under the title State of Becoming. Projects range from monumental sculptures to conceptual installations, showcasing art that evokes crossing boundaries and embracing change. Raymond describes the works as embodying formal regeneration, entropy, and transcendence, offering a dynamic exploration of contemporary artistic practice.
where:Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach
when:December 4th — 5th, 2024 (VIP preview), December 6th — 8th, 2024 (public)
image courtesy Art Basel
Alcova Miami
Alcova returns to Miami for its second international edition, taking over the historic River Inn in the South River Drive Historic District of East Little Havana. Built in 1908, the River Inn is Miami’s oldest hotel, featuring pastel-colored Victorian timber mansions preserved in their original charm. This unique setting — near the Miami River and accessible from both Miami Beach and downtown — offers a backdrop for Alcova’s mission of transforming historically rich spaces into dynamic showcases for cutting-edge contemporary design.
The 2024 edition will bring a lineup of exhibitions highlighting innovative work from designers, companies, and collectives worldwide. True to its roots, Alcova will feature both established and emerging voices, pushing boundaries in materials, systems, and living environments.
what: Alcova
where:River Inn, 437 SW 2nd Street, Miami
when:December 3rd — 8th, 2024
image courtesy Alcova
NADA Miami
For its 22nd edition, NADA Miami 2024 brings together over 150 galleries, art spaces, and nonprofit organizations from 37 countries and 66 cities to showcase a vast, global perspective. The fair highlights the dynamic art scenes of cities like Buenos Aires, Lagos, Shanghai, and Pittsburgh, presenting a mix of established names and fresh voices. Notably, this year welcomes 59 first-time exhibitors, including april april, Gallery COMMON, and Eugster II Belgrade, alongside innovative participants in the NADA Projects section like Romance and Louis Reed.
Highlights include the return of Curated Spotlight, organized by Jasmine Wahi in collaboration with TD Bank, which offers a focused platform for select galleries. NADA Presents, the fair’s signature conversation series, will feature dialogues with global art and culture leaders.
what: NADA Miami
where:Ice Palace Studios, 1400 N Miami Ave, Miami
when:December 3rd — 7th, 2024
Untitled Art Fair
The 13th edition of Untitled Art returns to Miami Beach in 2024 with its largest presentation yet, featuring 176 exhibitors. Founded in 2012, the fair remains committed to encouraging collaboration and supporting the broader art ecosystem. This year’s program emphasizes diversity and representation, guided by the curatorial theme East Meets West, with guest curators Kathy Huang and Jungmin Cho shaping a dialogue between global contemporary art practices.
The fair will be held on Miami Beach within a custom-built, air-conditioned structure featuring curated presentations, live events, and artist performances.
what: Untitled Art Fair
where: South Beach at 12th Street and Ocean Drive
when:December 4th — 8th, 2024
image courtesy Untitled Art Fair
SCOPE Art Show
Celebrating its 23rd edition, SCOPE Art Show returns to its iconic pavilion on the sands of South Beach, continuing its tradition of presenting the cutting-edge trends and innovative voices shaping the art world. Known for its forward-thinking approach, SCOPE provides a platform for alternative and nomadic gallery models, showcasing artists who challenge the boundaries of technology, culture, and society.
This year’s theme of interdependence highlights the power of collaboration and the interconnectedness of individuals, communities, and the global landscape. Large-scale installations will dominate the show, including Lua Brice‘s ethereal light and sound installation ‘Folding Light,’ Esther Mahlangu’s monumental solo exhibition ‘Ukuthula Makube Nawe,’ and ‘Blessed Be the Fruit,’ Lucy Sparrow‘s farmers market installation of over 6,000 individually handmade felt fruits.
what:SCOPE Art Show
where:South Beach, 801 Ocean Drive between 8th and 10th Street
when:December 3rd — 8th, 2024
image courtesy SCOPE Art Show
Lexus
Lexus is teaming up with design studio Crafting Plastics and ICA Miami to present Liminal Cycles, a multi-sensory installation debuting during Miami Art & Design Week 2024. Inspired by the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Lexus LF-ZC concept car, the central sculpture, crafted from bioplastic materials, highlights Lexus’ innovations in sustainable design and personalization.
The installation explores the concept of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), emphasizing adaptability and customization through responsive materials and technology. The centerpiece features UV-sensitive bioplastic that changes color with light variations, while satellite sculptures transform elements of the LF-ZC into interactive sensory experiences. Viewers can engage with tactile, auditory, and olfactory responses, including a new Lexus fragrance by dilo.
what:Liminal Cycles by Lexus and Crafting Plastics
where:Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami)
when:December 2nd — 8th, 2024