Q&A: When Art Meets Interior Design with Alcova Miami

Miami, FL – December 2, 2023 – Alcova is a platform that engages designers and companies in exploring the future of living and making. Established in 2017, it was created as a unique addition to Milan Design Week, one of the world’s largest design events. Alcova unites individuals and institutions shaping today’s design culture. They showcase groundbreaking developments in living spaces, products, systems, materials, and technological innovations. “Alcova Miami’s debut is intentionally on a smaller scale — The focus is on a more intimate venue that reflects an aspect of Miami’s lesser-known architectural history,” shares the Alcova team. The Selina Miami Gold Dust, one of several iconic 1950s motels in Miami’s MiMo District, will host around 40 projects with a stronger emphasis on collectible design. Miami, being less focused on product design and more on what is termed “functional art”, influences the curation to be more targeted and specific compared to Milan’s.

Valentina Ciuffi & Joseph Grima

WRE: Tell us what Alcova is and it’s significance in the design world.

Valentina Ciuffi: Alcova is a platform that engages designers and companies in exploring the future of living and making. Established in 2017, it was created as a unique addition to Milan Design Week, the world’s largest design event. Alcova unites individuals and institutions shaping today’s design culture. They showcase groundbreaking developments in living spaces, products, systems, materials, and technological innovations.

WRE: The choice of Gold Dust as the venue for this year’s event is interesting. What factors influenced this selection?

VC: One of the defining characteristics of Alcova is that we place as much importance on the venue as on the content. This approach allows for a focus on the city’s less prominent architectural heritage. Alcova Miami will be located in a vintage 1950s icon of Miami’s MiMo district, the Selina Gold Dust Motel. It was very important for us to select a location with a resonance with the city’s culture and fabric, and perhaps tinged with a little nostalgia, so the motels of Biscayne Boulevard seemed like the logical place to look.

WRE: What motivated the decision to bring Alcova to Miami? 

VC: Regarding the expansion to Miami, Alcova is best described as a blend between a fair and an exhibition. The content is carefully curated, emphasizing forward-thinking and innovative projects. While Milan Design Week is a major event, Miami attracts a diverse audience, offering different perspectives complementary to those found in Italy. Alcova’s choice to begin its international expansion in Miami was influenced by the city’s vibrant energy and its established reputation in art and collectible design.

Valentina Ciuffi & Joseph Grima

 Alcova unites individuals and institutions shaping today’s design culture.

Valentina Ciuffi

Valentina Ciuffi & Joseph Grima

WRE: How will Miami be different from your Italy show? 

VC: As for the Miami show, Alcova Miami’s debut is intentionally on a smaller scale. The focus is on a more intimate venue that reflects an aspect of Miami’s lesser-known architectural history. An old 1950s motel will host around 40 projects, with a stronger emphasis on collectible design. Miami, being less focused on product design and more on what is termed “functional art,” influences the curation to be more targeted and specific compared to Milan’s. Nevertheless, there remains a significant emphasis on material innovation and experimentation, a trend Alcova considers globally relevant today.

Alcova’s choice to begin its international expansion in Miami was influenced by the city’s vibrant energy and its established reputation in art and collectible design.

Valentina Ciuffi

WRE: Tell us about the designers this year? 

VC: In this U.S. venture, we’re collaborating with long-time partners, including the French duo Polcha, known for their pop sustainability, UMA from Turkey with their playful armchairs, the Dutch group Loop Loop with their performative lamps, and the Milanese trio NM3, known for their modernist rigor. We’re also featuring American talents like Object of Common Interest and the Uncharted collective, as well as the Los Angeles-based Kalon Studios.

Our curatorial project, Alcova Project Space, debuts in Miami, offering an expanded and refreshed experience from its Milan edition. We’re confident its dynamic approach will captivate the Miami audience. All designs from Alcova Project Space, along with additional products curated for this exhibition, are available online at our Alcova Design Shop.

Additionally, we’re collaborating with MAXXI, Italy’s prominent museum of contemporary culture, to celebrate the launch of its first design collection.