Closing of the year of the design agenda world, Art Basel and Design Miami 2019 left us with incredible art installations, amazing design pieces and a dash of controversy as well.

Come with us on a journey through contemporary art and modern design!

The “Comedian” installation by Maurizio Cattelan stole the show at Art Basel Miami 2019. Composed of a real banana attached to the wall with just one piece of duct tape, “Comedian” by Maurizio Cattelan for Galerie Perrotin at Art Basel Miami Beach 2019 showcases the artist’s characteristic commentaries — it’s a hyper-realistic sculpture satirizing popular culture and offering an ironic commentary on society, power, and authority.

Following the same line of America, an 18-karat gold toilet by Cattelan, this piece offers insight into how we assign worth and what kind of objects we value. The piece sold for $120,000 and was then eaten by performance artist David Datuna, in a performance he called “Hungry Artist”, creating the most talked-about moment of the event.

Fine Tuning by Claudia Moreira Salles won the Best Curio Booth at Design Miami 2019! Espasso presents limited-edition lamp collection called Fine Tuning, combining an exotic reclaimed woods abundant in rich grains and colours – such as rosewood and pine – with niobium, a rare metal that transforms chromatically without any added pigments.

Niobium is commonly used in the tech industry, but Salles turns the material into art rather than a scientific matter.

Right at the entrance of the design event, Atelier Marko Brajovic‘s Roots installation represents the mangroves of the Amazon. The project was made in partnership with Tidelli and consists of a self-supporting aluminium branch system wrapped by nautical ropes. Inside, a large rug and two traditional Amazonian hammocks invite visitors to settle in and reflect on our relationship with the environment through the immersive documentary Sacred Coca, which features a sound and visual journey through the Amazon.

In celebration of the recent opening of the Bottega Veneta store in the Miami Design District, the brand launched a pop-up installation, Bottega diner, during Miami Art Week 2019.

The place was open for 24 hours and delivered its classic all-American menu complemented with a limited number of Bottega Veneta branded exclusives, such as paper straws, napkins, coffee cups, toothpick flags, and gold matchboxes.

At Todd Merrill‘s booth, there was a bold Hannes Grebin sofa that really demonstrated the power of geometric pieces.

Perfectly embellishing the rest of the setting, there were three Bretch Wring Gander lamps that gave extraterrestrial vibes in the best way. The oversize lamps are illuminated by hidden LEDs that cast a mysterious glow.