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

Extended! A Chair and You at MUDAC

For those who’ve not yet had the pleasure, A Chair and You at MUDAC in Lausanne, Switzerland has been extended through February 26th. This exceptional exhibition features 211 chairs spanning 60 years of design history by 168 designers, artists, and architects—all part of the Thierry Barbier-Mueller collection, which is exhibited publicly here for the first time.

The presentation itself was designed by acclaimed American director Robert Wilson, whose scenography treats the chairs as protagonists of a performance, incorporating sound and light to create environments that celebrate these remarkable works. As the museum puts it: “Immersive and spectacular, this exhibition reads like a vast opera in four acts.” And our dear friend, design expert Simon Andrews, notes: “Without question, it is the most blindingly good exhibition that I have seen in quite some years—refreshing, a revelation—and absolutely superb scenography by Bob Wilson.”

Noguchi to Perriand at Gallerie56

Launched last fall in Tribeca by AD 100 Hall-of-Famer Lee F. Mindel, newcomer Gallerie56 has quickly gained a devoted following thanks to an exceptional revolving program produced in partnership with Mindel’s world-class network of collectible design dealers. The gallery’s latest exhibition, Noguchi to Perriand — East Meets West, is a collaboration with Laffanour – Galerie Downtown Paris, and features over 40 works by two of the 20th century’s most important creators. The show includes several Isamu Noguchi lights in conversation with Charlotte Perriand tables, chairs, benches, and stools—as well as archival materials from both designers that were originally owned by their shared gallerist, Steph Simon, and later acquired by Laffanour – Galerie Downtown Paris, such as Noguchi’s attaché case, complete with travel documents. On view through February 18th.

“[The show] celebrates two designers who shared the optimism of the early 20th century and who were working in a brave new world without its traditional borders. In this presentation, we show the bold and innovative works that distinguished these two creators and find the parallels between them.”—Lee F.  Mindel

Hamza Kadiri at Les Ateliers Courbet

This month, New York’s Les Ateliers Courbet debuts its first, dedicated solo show spotlighting the work of contemporary Moroccan artist and woodcrafter Hamza Kadiri. Notably, the gallery introduced Kadiri, the newest talent on its roster, with a fabulous, serpentine piece at Design Miami/ in December. Kadiri’s latest functional wood sculptures reflect his longtime inspirations, mythology and classical art, as well as his reverence for the material. Kadiri comes from a long lineage of wood experts and has spent years honing his skills in his Casablanca workshop, as well as apprenticeships in Japan. His new, handcrafted pieces are marked by bold forms and textured surfaces that celebrate the inherent beauty of wood. On view January 12th - March 10th.

A Trio of New Shows at Friedman Benda

Today, Friedman Benda launches three new shows in its New York and Los Angeles outposts. In NYC, the gallery presents Everything Here is Volcanic, an exhibition guest curated by Mario Ballesteros that offers a window into the explosive energy of contemporary makers in Mexico today. The show features new and recent works as well as newly commissioned installations by established and emerging Mexican talents, including Tezontle, Frida Escobedo, Fernando Laposse, Pedro Reyes; Víctor Barragán, and Javier Senosiain, among others.

Meanwhile, in LA, design lovers are treated to both I’m Not a Shrimp, Carmen D’Apollonio’s first solo gallery exhibition in LA, and Lebbeus Woods, Ecologies, 1984-1990. The former highlights D’Apollonio’s intuitive approach and tongue-in-cheek sensibility through new works composed in clay and bronze. The latter, curated by Jennifer Olshin, brings together a collection of outstanding drawings by the visionary architect and theorist—depicting Woods’ radical vision of what architecture could be, and how it might serve individuals and communities. All shows on view through February 4th.

Brittany Mojo at Mindy Solomon Gallery

Last but certainly not least, Mindy Solomon kicks off the new year with LA-based artist Brittany Mojo’s first solo show in Miami. Titled The Swell (Nowness, Again), the exhibition presents an array of Mojo’s handcrafted vessels bearing black and white and pastel imagery. Combining traditional craft materials, repetitive processes, and domestic objects, Mojo’s work is framed as an investigation into the relationship between functional objects and historically women’s work, reflecting the artist’s interest in time and labor and the histories of gendered work through material manipulation. On view January 7th - February 11th.