Miami Art and Design Week 2022: An AD PRO Essential Guide

Next week, all eyes will be on Miami when designers, gallerists, curators, and collectors gather in the Floridian metropolis for Design Miami and Art Basel, otherwise known as Miami Art and Design Week. To maximize your time exploring this powerhouse duo of fairs, AD PRO has highlighted the can’t-miss installations, exhibitions, openings, and product debuts—and everything else you need to know about this coveted annual event. (Be sure to check back in for our recap of the festivities too.)

What, When, and Where

For the 16th edition of Design Miami/Basel, which unfolded in June in Switzerland, incoming curatorial director Maria Cristina Didero magnified the concept of human resilience through the theme of “The Golden Age: Rooted in the Past.” Fittingly, Didero is now focusing on the notion of tomorrow with “The Golden Age: Looking Ahead to the Future,” her Miami follow-up. 

Taking place from November 30–December 4 in Pride Park, this celebration of collectible design showcases 20th- and 21st-century furniture, lighting, and objets d’art through 50 gallery and Curio exhibitions as well as myriad collaborations.  

Over at the Miami Beach Convention Center opposite the park, Art Basel (December 1–3) will bring together top galleries from five continents to showcase modern and contemporary art from well-established talents and rising stars alike. 

What to Know About the Fair

Both Pride Park and the convention center are vast—bring comfortable shoes—and wandering through them is indeed overwhelming. Having an expert guide the way can be a major time and energy saver. ArtNexus has organized several one-hour tour options for visitors to Art Basel, including “Highlights” and “Curator’s Choice,” along with family-friendly programming and special collection spotlights. While at the convention center, be sure to dip into the Louis Vuitton lounge, which will feature two wax figures of Yayoi Kusama, created by the master of dots herself; a vintage trunk collaboration with Takashi Murakami; paintings by Richard Prince; and more.

Don’t forget that plenty of soirées are popping up elsewhere across the city too—so plan to spend ample time in the back of Lyfts and Ubers, if you aren’t renting a car. Tickets for Design Miami and Art Basel can be purchased ahead of time on the fairs’ websites. (There is even a convenient combo offering of the two events for $98.)

Where to Eat, Drink, and Stay

After a full day of visual stimulation, a convivial dinner in an equally stunning space is in order. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of beautiful eateries in Magic City. Major Food Group, for instance, has expanded its empire in the city with Contessa, a two-story hot spot in the Miami Design District that Garrett Singer Architecture + Design has crafted as a nod to glamorous Lake Como resorts of yore. 

Other clamored-for tables await at Klaw, the swanky surf ‘n’ turf restaurant and rooftop bar overlooking Biscayne Bay that Martin Brudnizki Studio designed in Edgewater’s historic Miami Women’s Club. Those craving nightcaps should close out the evening with one of celebrated bartender Julio Cabrera’s Magic City Daiquiris at Café La Trova in Little Havana.