Miami Beach, FL – December 2 – 4, 2015 –  Art Basel isn’t just about browsing around various showrooms and viewing endless exhibits, it’s about completely immersing oneself in the entire world of art and design. One of the highlights of Design Miami/‘s set-up during Art Basel Miami Beach was their Art Talks program which presents the design world’s most compelling current topics, bringing together the creatives, collectors and critics actively influencing design discourse and production. Presented by The Surf Club Hotel and Residences, the 2015 Talks Series took place from December 2-4 in the Design Talks Studio.

Michael Boodro & Rodman Primack

Elle Decor Editor Michael Boodro joined in conversation with Rodman Primack with Zaha Hadid’s pavilion as a backdrop.

Michael Boodro & Rodman Primack

The Case of the Unbuilt: How Architects Imagine

Havard Graduate School of Design Dean, Mohsen Mostafavi and Architect Mark Lee of the LA based firm JOGNSTONMARKLEE, addressed the modes of imagination, speculation and conjecture throughout the design process, as well as the significance of the unbuilt. The conversation was punctuated by an active Q&A session with the audience and the team of architecture students that designed UNBUILT: Design Miami/ Harvard GSD Pavilion.

Dynamic Landscapes: The Art of Making Spaces

Landscape Architect Peter Wirtz and Pilar Viladas, Architecture and Design Editor at Town & Country explored the evolution of landscape architecture, the relationship between landscapes and the human body and landscapes as spaces that are in dialogue with architecture.

Heritage, the Environment& Creative Responsibility: Our Roots & Heritage Shape Our Thinking

Silvia Karman Cubiña, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Bass Museum moderated a discussion between Nadja Swarovski, Member of the Swarovski Executive Board and Fernando Romero, Architect and Founder of Fernando Romero Enterprise (FR-EE) on how we, as individuals or collectively, take responsibility for creative messaging.

Designing for the World

Roman Primack and Deyan Sudjic indulged in a conversation with Yves Béhar, winner of the Design Visionary Award presented by Panerai.

FOOD + DESIGN: A Look at the Intersection of Food & Design

A panel of established and emerging voices from design, architectural, artistic, hospitality and culinary perspectives examined the role that the food world has played in the evolution of design, and how the design world has influenced the aesthetics and experience of food.

Connoisseurship: Great Design Collectors, Then and Now

Design historian Daniella Ohad and David Netto, contributing Design Editor to T, the New York Times Style Magazine looked at the history of collecting design, and the cultural influence of design connoisseurs and tastemakers past and present, from early iconic collector Jacques Doucet to contemporary design connoisseur Lee Mindel.

Architecture Through the Lens

Vanity Fair Photographer at Large and acclaimed architecture and lifestyle photographer Todd Eberle has captured some of the world’s most beautiful and interesting people, places and architecture, most recently lending his irreverent eye to “The House of Thurn und Taxis” in his latest book of photography that offers a very personal portrait of one of Europe’s most impressive family collections. Eberle discussed this and more in a conversation with Design Miami/ Executive Director Rodman Primack.

Responsive Environments for the Internet of Things

Guests enjoyed programming in the Collectors Lounge featuring a presentation by Rodolphe el-Khoury, Dean and Professor of Architecture at University of Miami.