A Trip to Art Basel with designer Andee Hess

Every year for four days in December, the international art world descends on Miami for the much-anticipated Art Basel, an event where galleries show work from leading modern and contemporary artists, as well as pieces by emerging stars. This year was the12^th year of Art Basel Miami and the 10^th year of Design Miami, and Portland-based designer Andee Hess, principal of OsmoseDesign, attended. GRAY enlisted Hess to share some of her top picks from this year.

By Andee Hess

Osmose recently completed a tea-lounge in Miami, and through local clients and friends there I’ve had the opportunity to explore the city a good bit.  For that reason, when Art Basel Miami Beach approached, I thought for sure I would have a better handle on the festivities than the previous two years I’ve attended...

Art Basel Miami Beach still rules victorious as a feverous sensory-overload!! Here’s what I was able to process, and a few things that especially stuck out to me.  Enjoy the trip:

Donald Judd

Untitled (DSS 319), 1973

Copper

I’m a huge Judd fan—even though it’s from1973, this piece still looks so fresh and new.

Eric Baudart Concave 2013 aerosol paint on paper; The Gold show at the Bass Museum.

John Miserendino, Untitled (Seeing Ruby’s Hubby), 2014, stone, dye, 27×36   

Sylvie Fleury, Yes To All, 2004 gold-plated trashcan

The Gold show at the Bass Museum

Olson Kundig Architects’ “38 Beams” installation for the collector’s lounge at Design Miami. Seeing this solid installation gave me a great swell of PNW pride!  

Jack Craig PVC Series Pressed Stone Table 2013

These tables are made of heat-formed PVC water main and stone tops granite. I love the material surprise, and aside from being pretty cool little tables, they made me want to explore and play with materials more.

Fendi booth designed by Dimore Studio.  

Lines & Waves by Tomas Alonso, through Victor Hunt (London)

CNC milled grooves, then polished by hand with accessories following the grooves, so they align and slide. Did I mention the grooves are all hand-polished?

This nylon-and-bronze rug was featured at Ammann Gallery. I’ve never seen anything like it!    

Action Object by Leon Ransmeier. Yes, it’s a silver chin-up station! 

Acrylic console at Ammann Gallery.

Alessandro Mendini cabinet (brass inlayed in enamel) at Casati. This is the perfect luxury wardrobe for a Monsters Inc. character.

American walnut and ecologically harvested alligator stools by Etel Carmona Suchus stool for Espasso.   

CNC marble by Zaha Hadid at R&Company.

Some creeping little stools by The Hass Brothers at R&Company.

Epic Damian Hirst pieces (composed of primarily metal razor blades).

And a life-size Peter Marino to finish things off!