Miami Beach, FL – December 3 – 6, 2014 – 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 2014 Talks Series took place from December 3-6 in the Design Talks Studio.

Can Art Serve Fish

Craig Robins and David Chu joined together for a conversation in the Collector’s Lounge with author of Reflections, Murray Moss, and Design Miami’s Rodman Primack discussing why human beings fall so in love with inanimate objects and whether ‘art can serve fish’.

Rodman Primack, David Chu, Murray Moss, & Craig Robins

Craig Robins & Rodman Primack

David Chu & Rodman Primack

Craig Robins

Rodman Primack & Murray Moss

David Chu & Rodman Primack

David Chu, Rodman Primack, & Murray Moss

David Chu, Rodman Primack, & Murray Moss

Murray Moss & Rodman Primack

Murray Moss

Murray Moss & Robert Wolf

Tina Leung

David Chu & Sharon Coplan Hurowitz

Missy Carricarte & Alastair Gordon

Sarah Natkins & Ashley Proudfoot

Franklin Getchell, Nick Vinson, & Alvaro Gonzalez

Jacob Wildschioedtz, Dung Ngo, & Mayer Rus

Art et Industrie

Richard Kaufmann, Michele Oka Doner and Jim Cole all came together for a discussion exploring a trip down memory lane. The three leading figures of the radical 1980s Art ed Industrie movement discussed the roles they played in it and how it is perceived today.

Alastair Gordon, Michele Oka Doner, Jim Cole, & Richard Kaufmann

Alastair Gordon, Michele Oka Doner, Jim Cole, & Richard Kaufmann

Alastair Gordon

Michele Oka Doner, Jim Cole, & Richard Kaufmann

Michele Oka Doner

Jim Cole

Richard Kaufmann

Jim Cole & Richard Kaufmann

Alastair Gordon, Michele Oka Doner, Jim Cole, & Richard Kaufmann

New Minimalism

Architect Joseph Dirand spent time sharing the in’s and outs of his evolving style and career with T Magazine’s design editor, Tom Delavan.

Tom Delavan & Joesph Dirand 

Tom Delavan

Joesph Dirand 

Convergences

Tom Kundig and Jim Olson joined Pilar Viladas for a captivating chat regarding convergences. From two very different modes of expression, based in a shared philosophy, the architects Jim Olson and Tom Kundig forged a lasting partnership.

Tom Kundig ,Pilar Viladas, & Jim Olson

Pilar Viladas & Jim Olson

Tom Kundig & Pilar Viladas

Tom Kundig, Pilar Viladas, & Jim Olson

Tom Kundig & Pilar Viladas

Tom Kundig, Pilar Viladas, & Jim Olson

Tom Kundig

Tom Kundig, Pilar Viladas, & Jim Olson

Design Visionary

Peter Marino came together with Rodman Primack for an alluring discussion about Marino’s works. Peter Mario, the inaugural recipient of Design Miami’s Design Visionary award, spent time discussing his approach, his vision, his inspirations and his work.

Rodman Primack & Peter Marino

Peter Marino

Rodman Primack & Peter Marino

Rodman Primack & Peter Marino

Peter Marino

Designing for the Environment

Architect Jeanne Gang and nature photographer James Balog discussed art and design as instruments of collective salvation and the opportunities and responsibilities of designers and artists in an age of accelerated environmental change. The chat was moderated by Joseph Grima.

Nadja Swarovski

Joseph Grima, Jeanne Gang, & James Balog

Joseph Grima, Jeanne Gang, & James Balog

Farris Bukhari

Joseph Grima, Jeanne Gang, & James Balog

Chicago is the Future

David Adjaye and Theaster Gates, two of the most prominent figures in the fields of the architecture and contemporary art, discussed the relationship between architecture and social equity, their upcoming collaboration in Chicago and the city as a laboratory for innovation in honor of the 2015 inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial.

Sarah Herda, David Adjaye, Theaster Gates, & Joesph Grima

David Adjaye

Joseph Grima

Sarah Herda

Theaster Gates

Sarah Herda & Theaster Gates

Sarah Herda, David Adjaye, Theaster Gates, & Joesph Grima

American Design

Five contemporary American designers, Rebekah Frank, Jay Sae Jung Oh, Jonathan Muecke, Matt Olson and Adam Silverman, explored how their concepts and imaginative processes set them apart from international counterparts, their engagement with materials and physical fabrication, and the impact their work is making on the broader design scene.

Glenn Adamson, Adam Silverman, Rebekah Frank, Jonathan Muecke, Jay Sae Jung Oh, & Matt Olson

Rebekah Frank, Jonathan Muecke, Jay Sae Jung Oh, & Matt Olson

Jay Sae Jung Oh

Matt Olson

Glenn Adamson & Adam Silverman

The Last Swan

Marella Caracciolo Chia joined in conversation with Rodman Primack. Chia, Marella Agnelli’s niece and author of a recent book exploring her life, discussed the woman who was by far one of the twentieth century’s most inspiring patronesses and muses of fashion and interior design.

Rodman Primack & Marella Caracciolo Chia

Rodman Primack & Marella Caracciolo Chia

Marella Caracciolo Chia

Rodman Primack & Marella Caracciolo Chia