Welcome to The Buzz, a biweekly roundup of design world news and inspiration for Design Miami’s discerning community of creatives and collectors. Enjoy!

Tiss-Tiss at Carpenters Workshop Gallery

Japanese-French duo Aki + Arnaud Cooren make their UK solo debut at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London with Tiss-Tiss, an exquisite, experimental collection that transforms linen into metal. The designers have developed a special manufacturing process for the series, molding a silicone duplicate of an original cardboard and linen model, which is then sand-casted in aluminum and dyed in a romantic hue. The resulting works combine the textural beauty of traditional handwoven textiles with minimalistic, au courant forms. Check out the online viewing room, including a walk-through with gallery Cofounder Loïc Le Gaillard here.

Letters from Beirut at the Venice Architecture Biennale

Now in Venice: Lebanese studio T SAKHI’s Letters from Beirut is an interactive installation designed to spark dialogue and connection between Lebanese citizens and strangers. Installed at the Giardini della Marinaressa, a wall of handcrafted pouches hold messages from 2,000 Lebanese citizens written in the wake of the past year’s devastating events, as well as seeds for visitors to take home and plant in an act of solidarity and as a symbol of rebirth. Visitors are encouraged to respond to the messages and to donate to NGOs supporting Lebanese citizens. ​Inspired by this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale theme, “How will we live together?,” this poetic project was created in partnership with Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council and organized by European Cultural Center.

Save My Sister in Copenhagen

Opening this week in Copenhagen, the Save My Sister photo exhibition aims not only to increase awareness of violence against women, but also, importantly, to empower survivors of domestic abuse to create new narratives for themselves. The campaign features portraits of both survivors and activist-allies in stunning floral surroundings—the idea being that the moment a survivor tells their story, they plant the seeds for a new life. The project is a collaboration between floral design studio Poppykalas, photographer Sarah Buthmann, and women’s rights organization Danner. The show will tour Denmark all summer and is accompanied by talks and events in each city. The full series may also be viewed online here.

“Flowers are my language. In Save My Sister, the act of sharing one’s brutal story gives root to new floral universes, new beginnings. This has been one of the most touching and meaningful projects for me ever.” —Thilde Maria Haukohl Kristensen, Founder of Poppykalas

ammann//projects in London

This week, coinciding with Gallery Weekend in London, Cologne-based ammann//gallery is launching its new UK arm, called ammann//projects. The debut exhibition can be found at Cromwell Place and includes the work of Ron Arad, Hélène Binet, Rolf Sachs, Studio Nucleo, and Richard Woods—all incredible visual storytellers. London is starting to open up, and this show offers a delightful way to celebrate.

The Grand Tourist Podcast

On June 9th, design journalist Dan Rubinstein—previously longtime Home + Design Director at Departures—launches a new podcast, The Grand Tourist. The weekly show will feature conversations with guests from across the creative spectrum.  The kickoff includes interviews with celebrity chef Francis Mallmann and Victoria Broackes, new Director of London Design Biennale. Listen to the trailer—and subscribe—here.

“I wanted to create a global platform where I could share my access to the men and women who shape our world, while digging deeper than what’s typically possible today. Design is a major focus—as it’s my first love—but I thought it was time to start viewing our community through a wider, more pleasurable lens. I named it after the age-old European tradition that saw travel, design, and collecting not as gratuitous pursuits, but indispensable elements of any well-lived life.” —Dan Rubinstein, Design Journalist

Peter Speliopoulos’ CHTHONIC at Atelier Courbet

Next week, New York’s Atelier Courbet debuts CHTHONIC, a new body of ceramic works by Peter Speliopoulos. Created in Speliopoulos’ Hudson Valley studio during the pandemic, the works are inspired both by his Greek cultural heritage—and in particular, the primordial gods of the underworld—as well as his own internal journey, both fearful and optimistic, during this period of isolation. Formally, they draw on Speliopoulos’ background as a fashion designer, likening clay to muslin, organza, and felt. As he says, “I instinctively create each vessel as a sculpture, as a three-dimensional form, a fantastical personality, like a dress with drape, movement, detail.”