✨ My Inspiring Journey to Miami Art Basel 2025 – Art, Architecture & Interior Insights

This year, purely by coincidence—and very fortunately from a professional perspective—I found myself attending Art Basel Miami Beach, one of the most important and influential contemporary art fairs in North America. Held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the fair brings together leading international galleries, artists, collectors, and curators, offering a rare opportunity to experience museum-quality art within one highly concentrated and dynamic setting.

For me as an interior designer, Art Basel Miami Beach is not only about art appreciation, but about discovering fine art for clients, exploring new material languages, and continuing my education in how art can meaningfully exist within interior spaces—shaping atmosphere, perception, and emotional depth.

1. Sheila Hicks – Textile Art with Cultural Depth

One of the most impressive encounters this year was the work of Sheila Hicks. Known for her extraordinary textile practice, Hicks often works with linen and cotton, creating richly layered, sculptural pieces that feel both contemporary and deeply rooted in tradition. Having lived and worked extensively in Mexico, her work carries a subtle cultural influence that translates into warmth, tactility, and emotional presence. These are textiles that do not decorate a space—they define it.

2. Anish Kapoor – Presence, Perception, and Timeless Power

I also came across a smaller yet highly captivating work by Anish Kapoor from 2023: a 100 cm diameter stainless-steel plate, lacquered with a fluorescent finish that draws the viewer in almost magnetically. Kapoor’s work is renowned for its exploration of perception, reflection, and infinite depth. Even in reduced scale, his pieces retain a monumental quality, making them exceptional objects for refined interior spaces, where art becomes a quiet but powerful focal point.

3. Dale Frank – Color, Transparency and Material Experimentation

Another exciting discovery was Dale Frank, an Australian artist known for his experimental approach to color and surface. His work using transparent powder-pink dyes embedded in epoxy resin creates a hypnotic depth and luminosity. These pieces feel fluid, emotional, and surprisingly architectural—offering fascinating possibilities for contemporary interiors.

4. James Turrell – Light as Architecture

Naturally, James Turrell was another highlight. His light works continue to be profoundly relevant for architects and interior designers alike. Turrell does not illuminate space—he creates it. His installations remind us how light itself can become a material, shaping atmosphere, perception, and emotional response.

5. Rebecca Manson – Sculptural Elegance

I also discovered the work of Rebecca Manson, whose Orchid Wings—porcelain elements mounted on canvas and hardware—resemble delicate butterfly wings. Highly sculptural and incredibly difficult to capture in photographs, these works are poetic, elegant, and perfectly suited for sophisticated interior environments.

Miami Beach Convention Center & Fair Highlights

The Miami Beach Convention Center itself is absolutely worth the trip—especially when working with clients who have the budget to invest in exceptional art. However, I found Red Dot and Spectrum somewhat disappointing this year: very commercial, strongly geared toward the North American market, visually aggressive, and lacking the depth and creativity present in other sections of the fair.

Conclusion

And of course, Art Miami remains indispensable not only because of the art itself. Let’s be honest: the legendary parties, the beach, the light, the excellent food—and above all, the reliably good weather—play their part as well. In the midst of the European winter season, Miami becomes a wonderfully convincing excuse to briefly turn one’s back on Europe, purely for professional reasons, of course.

Surrounded by art, palm trees, and sunsets, it’s surprisingly easy to find inspiration while enjoying life at the same time. And that is precisely what makes Art Basel Miami Beach so special: it combines high culture with lightness. A place you leave inspired, return from in good spirits—and secretly already look forward to visiting again.

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Stay inspired, Katharina Klotz

Klotz Interior – Interior Design from Berlin