Alcova Miami explores ‘Uncharted’ realms at Miami Art Week 2023

Alcova Miami will debut Uncharted, a group exhibition that intends to explore new realms within contemporary design during Miami Art Week from December 4 - 10, 2023. The show will feature six contemporary artists and designers namely, Caleb Ferris, Forma Rosa Studio, NJ Roseti, Studio Sam Klemick, Tristan Louis Marsh, and Wallpaper Projects. “In response to this collective longing for something new, six artists have joined forces to present their work in Uncharted. Each artist has embarked on a personal journey into unmapped realms and returned with unique mementoes, presented together in an atmosphere of the otherworldly,” states the exhibition's curatorial note.

Exploring the unfamiliar within their own creative practices and processes, the group of American artists and designers will present functional art that underlines our collective need to explore new worlds at the art week. Uncharted embarks on a journey into unmapped spheres, through the use of wood, ceramics, metal, and textiles, to communicate their ideas. The entire exhibition at the art event hopes that viewers will be able to embrace a sense of discovery within, as certainty fades and the unknown beckons. Here are some highlights of what one can expect at the Miami art festival.

Sam Klemick

Studio Sam Klemick is a Los Angeles-based design studio driven by imagination and guided by circular methods. The studio is committed to utilising salvaged materials and deadstock/ vintage textiles. As a fashion designer, Klemick conceived her studio after observing the wasteful, ‘fast’ practices within the industry. “We’re all explorers, and the objects in this show represent the artefacts we are each bringing back after a process of discovery. It’s about inspiring a sense of wonder and curiosity, challenging viewers to think about the future, but also to take a closer look at what’s already right in front of them,” relays Klemick, on Uncharted.

Tristan Louis Marsh

Based out of Los Angeles, Marsh is a visual artist and designer, with a practice centred on sculptural furniture and lighting design, the forms which are derived from biological structures and naturally occurring phenomena. He thinks of the objects he creates as ones that have a co-equal status, or objects with a ‘soul.' He conveys this through the use of rhythm, movement, and posture, with the goal of diminishing the hierarchy ascribed to objects as merely functional. For Uncharted, the lighting designer channels his continual fascination with and connection to the ocean by explaining, “Presenting anything speculative causes people to take a moment. It pulls you out of your everyday reality and the spaces you’re used to confronting. With this show, we want to offer a moment of pause and deep presence, and hope our objects can conjure that in whatever space they find themselves in.”

Maria Teresa Castillo

As one of the founders of Forma Rosa Studio in Brooklyn, Castillo explained the studio’s participation in Uncharted by saying, “There can be a lot of fear and hesitance when entering into realms of the unknown, but also a sense of excitement. We wanted to explore these contrasting emotions, creating a moody space that is also welcoming, a place where you can slow down and find presence. The unknown or the future can be unsettling, but here, we try to make it feel also welcoming and exciting, of a present that we are already living and as designers embracing." Co-founded along with Santiago Braby Brown, the studio’s work is inspired by technology, art, and natural phenomena, while its collectible objects, lighting, as well as furniture designs, aim to connect us with our natural roots. They are gaining recognition for their distinctive perspective on the merging of digital design and craftsmanship cultures.

NJ Roseti

Known for working with ideas of nostalgic futurism, Roseti’s work carries technological and religious undertones. At the same time, his work also exhibits ideas linked to theoretical physics such as hidden dimensions, the construct of time, and parallel universes through its use of patterns. He personally makes each piece in his workshop, utilising a blend of computer and traditional hand tools. The furniture designer’s work in Uncharted channels the ongoing search for a theory of everything through its distinctive symmetry. “We’re in a moment where there is a lot of fear about the future and the unknown, but with this show, we wanted to offer a positive spin on the future of humanity,” he explained.

Amanda Dandeneau and David Jiménez

The boutique design studio Wallpaper Projects was created by Amanda Dandeneau and David Jiménez, specialising in custom-made, custom-fit, high-end wallpaper, and fabric material wallcoverings. The duo explained, “What interests us the most is producing an experience for the viewer - transforming spaces and creating something unexpected in this setting is our main goal.” So they work closely with other artists and clients, to expand and experiment with different materials. For Uncharted, Wallpaper Projects collaborated with Teruko Kushi to create Lucent Ore, which features heat-tempered and copper-oxidised steel that utilises natural minerals and earth elements to create dynamic ethereal surfaces.

Caleb Ferris

Caleb Ferris is a furniture artist who creates tongue-in-cheek designs that remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. Finding inspiration in life’s overlooked and underappreciated details such as the ruffled curves of noodles, the tempting glint of fishing lures, or the bounce of inflated cartoons, Ferris draws attention to the things we often take for granted. His creative process borrows motifs from his personal library of objects, which he abstracts and recontextualises until each piece is infused with its own distinct personality. On Uncharted, Ferris said, “We are living in the future. Recently, we’ve seen so many advances in science and tech, yet our surroundings can often lack the same type of discovery. Uncharted is an invitation for each artist to step into their own uncharted world of imagination and to summon the courage to bring new visions to life.”

Each artist’s distinctive narrative, whether rooted in salvaged materials, oceanic inspiration, technological evolutions, or speculative futurism, converges to craft an exhibition that transcends functional art into realms of thought-provoking wonder. As these artists invite us to embrace the unknown and revel in the ‘uncharted,’ their collective message resonates: amid uncertainty lies the invitation to envision, create, and explore, paving the way for a future where innovation and imagination reign supreme.