The 16th edition of Design Miami/ Basel opens to the public today, and according to tradition it’s time to unveil the Best in Show winners!

Our illustrious Vetting Committee members—architect Lee Mindel, advisor Simon Andrews, advisor Jeremy Morrison, and VP of Fairs Grela Orihuela—have awarded four exhibitors whose presentations demonstrate extraordinary quality, curation, and creativity. “The level of work at this year’s edition of Design Miami/ Basel is extraordinary,” Orihuela told us. “So many booth designs are inspired, both for our Galleries and Curios. But it’s always nice to recognize those spaces and objects that make a special impact. Congratulations to all!”

Drumroll, please. Without further ado, here are the top picks for this year’s Basel fair.

Best Gallery Presentation: Morentz, Waalwijk

Exhibiting for the first time at Design Miami/ Basel, Netherlands-based Morentz has won the Best Gallery Presentation award. According to Andrews, “Their skillfully curated, atmospherically staged installation of rare and diverse works celebrates the very best of international mid-century design, intuitively uniting Nordic, Italian, American, and Brazilian expressions.”

Best Curio Presentation: Stepping on Ukrainian Soil by Victoria Yakusha for FAINA Gallery, Antwerp

The award for Best Curio Presentation goes to Ukrainian-born, Belgian-based designer Victoria Yakusha of FAINA Gallery. Her Stepping on Ukrainian Soil installation features a two-and-a-half-meter handwoven tapestry that symbolizes the deep, unbreakable connection between Ukrainians and the soil of their homeland.

Best Historical Object: Office Set by Pierre Poutout, presented by Galerie Meubles et Lumières, Paris

The fair’s Best Historic Object award winner is a suite of office furniture designed by Pierre Poutout, presented by Galerie Meubles et Lumières in Paris. According to Mindel, “This low slung office suite—three chairs, a console, and a Calder-shaped desk—is an historic reminder of 1970s-era, avant-garde French architecture. The desk is anchored to the floor only by a flat steel plate. The comfortable chairs have a gyroscope base that adjusts to any position. Each piece is an engineering feat that appears to defy gravity. And the ensemble is a gesamtkunstwerk that celebrates the integration of design and architecture.”

Best Contemporary Object: Planet by Astrid Krogh, presented by Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris

And finally we have the Best Contemporary Object: Danish artist-designer Astrid Krogh’s Planet, presented by Galerie Maria Wettergren in Paris. Mindel explains: “From a land where light can be either overabundant or totally scarce, Krogh has created an abstract expression of the science and art of the universe. Made of gold leaf, silver, platinum, aluminum, and fiber optics—with its sweeping flux of moving light and various vibrating surfaces—Krogh’s Planet is a pulsating feast for the eyes.”

A Few More Delightful Highlights…

Beyond the awards for Best in Show, we’d like to shout out a few more extra special, can’t-miss installations from this year’s Basel fair.

The world’s foremost institution dedicated to experiential art and design, Superblue, has once again taken over our ground floor with a monumental extravaganza of light and technology. Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Pulse Topology offers an entrancing moment of meditation to visitors entering the fair, as 6,000 light bulbs poignantly replicate the heartbeats of those standing near.

And a big thank you to our own Curatorial Director, Maria Cristina Didero, for her Golden Age-themed selling-exhibition, featuring a stunning array of museum-quality historical and contemporary objects, culled from the outstanding collections of 20 Design Miami/ Basel exhibitors. What a beautiful addition to this year’s fair! ◆

Design Miami/ Basel is open to the public June 14-19, 2022.

Tickets can be purchased here.