The annual NYCxDesign festival gives space to artisans, manufacturers and students showing off their latest inventions in architecture and design. The 12th edition is scheduled to run May 16-23, but the exhibitions, product introductions and panel discussions revolving around buildings, furnishings, fashion and graphics start as early as May Day and continue through the month. Here are some highlights.
May 1
Porky Hefer
“Porky Hefer: No Bats, No Chocolate” is a show of towering, interactive, animal-inspired sculptures by Hefer, a South African artist and activist. The creatures include a walrus, a ladybug, a zebra, a wildebeest, a bat, a bush baby, a beaver and a crocodile. Through Aug. 26 at Galerie56, 240 Church Street; galerie56.com.
Nick Cave
Shown in the windows of Bergdorf Goodman’s Men’s Store are 10 Model 31 lounge chairs, originally designed in 1954 by Florence Knoll and recently returned to production. Each chair is upholstered in one of three fabrics by the Chicago artist Nick Cave, which were inspired by his surreal, body-glorifying Soundsuits. The upholstered chairs are available through the e-commerce site Bureau of Merchants and cost $1,932 to $2,901, depending on the textile. Through May 31 at 745 Fifth Avenue; knoll.com.
“Sonia Delaunay: Sparking Joy”
Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue magazine’s senior archives editor, will discuss the impact of the French artist and designer Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979) on fashion history. Part of the program of the Bard Graduate Center’s exhibition “Sonia Delaunay: Living Art,” the presentation will take place at 6 p.m. at 38 West 86th Street; bgc.bard.edu.
May 2
Han Chiao
“Rough, untamed and a bit savage” was how the Taiwanese-born, Paris-based artist Han Chiao described the black clay she used for her latest ceramics. More than 20 of the hand-formed vessels glazed in thin white washes will be on view in her show, “Sans Titre” (Untitled). Through July 27 at 321 Canal Street; rwguildgalleryny.com.
Friedman Benda
The show “Under Present Conditions” explores design responses to dire environmental and social threats through materials. The international contributors include the Brazilian designer Humberto Campana, the British designer Paul Cocksedge, the Dutch designer Joris Laarman, the Burkinabe designer Hamed Ouattara, the Israeli designer Erez Nevi Pana and the Mexican designer Fernando Laposse. Through June 15 at 515 West 26th Street; friedmanbenda.com.
Kips Bay Decorator Show House
For its 49th edition, the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club invited 24 designers and architects to transform a four-story neo-Georgian-style red brick townhouse on the Upper East Side. The temporary spells cast by the participants have made magic of bedrooms, hallways, closets, bathrooms, a wet bar, a catering kitchen and a 35-foot-wide garden. Through May 28 at 125 East 65th Street; kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org.
Simone Bodmer-Turner
What happens when a ceramist leaves New York for a Massachusetts farmhouse that lacks the apparatus to fire clay? For Simone Bodmer-Turner, it meant collaborating with local artisans in the use of non-earthen materials like bronze, wood, lacquer and silk. The exhibition “A Year Without a Kiln” reveals the results. Through June 22 at 16 East 79th Street; emmascullygallery.com.
May 9
Lindsey Adelman
TIWA Gallery presents “A Realm of Light,” 32 handblown glass oil lamps by Lindsey Adelman. The lights, which are produced in hanging and table versions, evoke millenniums of religious rituals illuminated by dancing flames. And maybe the best thing about them? No cords! Through June 8 at 86 Walker Street; tiwa-select.com.
May 13
Colony
Colony, a TriBeCa cooperative and gallery that specializes in products by contemporary American designers, has moved to a new location in the neighborhood. It is marking the change with an exhibition of works by its members, including the lighting designer Bec Brittain; the design studio Grain; the furniture makers at Scheibe Design, KWH and SSS Atelier; the quilting specialist M. Callahan; and the textile artist Hiroko Takeda. Through May 31 at 196 West Broadway; goodcolony.com.
May 15
Charlie Dumais
Charlie Dumais, of the pottery studio Dumais Made, in Litchfield, Conn., is presenting a pop-up event called “31 Days” to highlight his specialty: handmade lamps inspired by midcentury-modern and Brutalist architecture. The show’s title refers to the month of January 2023 in which he turned out a pair of lamps daily. So, yes, 62 will be displayed. Through May 17 at 195 Chrystie Street; dumaismade.com.
Egg Collective
The fourth in an exhibition series that honors women who have enriched the fields of art and design, Egg Collective’s “Designing Women IV: Eileen Gray’s House for Two Sculptors” uses photorealistic renderings to reimagine an unfinished project that the Irish architect Eileen Gray conceived in 1933. Also shown will be works by Egg Collective and by the contemporary sculptors Taylor Kibby and Molly Haynes. Through June 15 at 151 Hudson Street; eggcollective.com.
Beni Rugs
To show off Salon, its new collection of Art Deco-inspired rugs by Athena Calderone, Beni is fitting out its West Village showroom with French and Austrian furniture from the 1920s and ’30s. The pieces are from Somerset House, the vintage furniture retailer in Long Island City. Through June 31 at 13 West Ninth Street. To book an appointment, email [email protected].
Assembly Line
Assembly Line, a three-year-old, bricks-and-mortar shop in Brooklyn founded by the design studio General Assembly, will present “Time & Materials,” a show of objects and lighting that emphasize materials and process. A side table by the Chinese-born furniture maker Bowen Liu, for instance, has a hand-carved stone base that flaunts the marks left by her shaping tool. Other exhibitors are Fort Standard, Danny Kaplan Studio, Pat Kim Design, Christopher Merchant, Ravenhill Studio and Steven Bukowski. Through June 23 at 373 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn; assemblyline.co.
Oui Design!
The six-day festival of French design will kick off with a panel discussion at Villa Albertine (972 Fifth Avenue) moderated by Maria Nicanor, the director of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and then spread through the city, touching down at showrooms, exhibitions halls and galleries. Through May 21 at various locations; villa-albertine.org.
May 16
Lee Broom
The British designer Lee Broom introduces lighting fixtures in welded brass combined with glass, acrylic and leather. Called Alchemist, the collection explores the magic of transformation and the indelible power of myth. It can be seen through May 23, by appointment, at the designer’s penthouse showroom in TriBeCa. Send an email to [email protected] to book; leebroom.com.
Bonacina
The 135-year-old furniture company Bonacina will present 50 of its handmade rattan seats, including the 1975 Brando Bicolor dining chair designed by Mario Bonacina and Renzo Mongiardino. On view through Sept. 15 at the period hardware company E.R. Butler, 55 Prince Street; bonacina1889.com.
Petra x Sight Unseen
Ten cabinets by independent design studios mark the launch of Petra, a new artistic hardware brand created by Monica Khemsurov, a co-founder of the design platform Sight Unseen. Each cabinet features handles or pulls created for Petra by 35 multidisciplinary designers, including Chris Wolston, Lauren Geremia and Pamela Love. On view through May 17 at 25 East Broadway, second floor; sightunseen.com, petrahardware.com.
Little Wing Lee
Little Wing Lee, an interior designer in Brooklyn, who founded the multidisciplinary network Black Folks in Design, will unveil four new sconces created with the lighting company RBW. The names are Cape, Copia, Crepe and Cuff, and the influences are nautical, Deco and minimal, though not all at once. Through May 23 at RBW, 50 Greene Street, second floor; rbw.com.
NYCxDesignxSouvenir
Fifty-two designers submitted ideas for New York City souvenirs that celebrate the energy, diversity and character of the metropolis. The prototypes, which include wall art, pins, coasters, charms, tableware, T-shirts and children’s games, will be shown in an exhibition organized by Boym Partners, the designers of a project called Souvenirs for the End of the Century. Sponsored by NYCxDesign with the publication Cool Hunting. Through May 23 at 20 Hudson Yards, first floor; nycxdesign.com.
Carl Hansen & Son
The Danish furniture company Carl Hansen & Son is reintroducing legacy designs, including Hans J. Wegner’s 1949 Wishbone chair in a children’s version and Vilhelm Lauritzen’s 1956 Vega chair, now in chrome. Through May 23 at 251 Park Avenue South; carlhansen.com.
American Design Club
For “Mouthful,” an exhibition organized by Kiel Mead, the co-founder and director of the retail platform American Design Club, and Wyatt Little, a ceramist, more than 50 designers have produced one-of-a-kind drinking vessels. Through May 23 at Canal Street Market, 265 Canal Street; americandesignclub.com.
Common Things
Common Things, an East Village shop devoted to humble, everyday objects, is exhibiting “Finding the Light,” a show of eclectic lamps by designers and artists including Candy Valentine, Blanca Codina, Ryoko Nakamura, Christopher Flechtner and Juno Shen. Through May 23 at 76 East Seventh Street; common-things.com.
Arper
The Catifa Carta, a chair by the Spanish studio Lievore Altherr Molina, which was originally produced by the furniture company Arper in 2001, has been modified through a collaboration with a Swedish start-up called PaperShell. The new version is produced from paper made from wood factory waste and natural resin. It can be seen at the company’s showroom along with other new seating by Jean-Marie Massaud and the studio Doshi Levien. Through May 23 at 476 Broadway; arper.com.
Allied Maker
The handcrafted lighting producer Allied Maker presents a new collection that includes the latest version of its Grand Meridian chandelier, a circular arrangement of ribbed brass and milky glass. Through May 23 at 81 Franklin Street. alliedmaker.com.
Madison Avenue Design Week
For the second year, Madison Avenue galleries, shops and showrooms will offer conversations, exhibitions and special previews. (On May 17, representatives of the New York City chapter of the American Institute of Architects will lead an architectural walking tour “Madison Avenue: High Fashion & Historic Preservation.”) Through May 23 on Madison Avenue from East 57th to East 86th Streets; madisonavenuebid.org.
Prelle x Uchronia
Julien Sebban, the founder of the French design collective Uchronia, has collaborated on silk fabrics in riotous colors with the storied house of Prelle, a silk manufacturer founded in 1752 in Lyons, France. The fabrics will be presented at an event celebrating Uchronia’s introduction to the United States at Prelle’s Manhattan showroom. From 6 to 9 p.m. at 43 East 10th Street; prelle.com.
May 17
Dining Out NYC
New York City-sponsored prototypes for outdoor dining will be shown at four notable restaurants over the course of the day. Each spot will offer demonstrations and discussions of the modules, and there will be food. The participants are the vegetarian restaurant Sunday to Sunday (88 Orchard Street, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.), the Peruvian restaurant Warique (90-04 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights, Queens, 1 to 2 p.m.), the Tibetan restaurant Dawa’s (51-18 Skillman Avenue, Woodside, Queens, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.) and the Mediterranean restaurant Bodrum (584 Amsterdam Avenue, 5 to 6 p.m.); diningoutnyc.info.
Cornell Tech Open Studio
Cornell University’s graduate campus and research center on Roosevelt Island will host faculty and student demonstrations of projects involving virtual reality, extended reality, robotics and digital fabrication. A networking reception will follow. From 3 to 8 p.m. at 2 West Loop Road; tech.cornell.edu.
Mercer Street Block Party
For the second year, design showrooms on Mercer Street, between Broome and Canal Streets, will open their doors and serve refreshments to curiosity seekers stopping by in the evening. The group includes Orior Furniture, Bocci, Roll + Hill, Calico Wallpaper, Stellar Works, Kasthall and Hem. From 6 to 9 p.m.; oriorfurniture.com.
Pelle
Pelle, a design studio founded by Jean and Oliver Pelle, presents wallpaper inspired by the married couple’s memories of the South Korean landscape. The paper is produced by Calico Wallpaper, where it is shown. Through May 23 at 57 Lispenard Street; calicowallpaper.com.
Design Within Reach
The retailer Design Within Reach presents new and old designs from the furniture company Heller, founded in 1971. The presentation includes Fortune, a rotund, recycled-plastic chair inspired by the shape of a fortune cookie and introduced by the Brooklyn design studio Jumbo. Through Sept. 2 at 957 Third Avenue; dwr.com.
May 18
SoHo Design Day
The 10th anniversary of the SoHo Design District is celebrated with events at showrooms including Artemide, Boffi, Foscarini, Poggenpohl, Salvitori, Scavolini and Savoir; sohodesigndistrict.org/events.
“Design Dysphoria”
An exhibition featuring 17 designers who explore the concept of queer creative spaces and their impact on art and design. The collection includes furniture, lighting, textiles and decorative objects. Through May 25 at 53 Scott Avenue, Suite 401, Brooklyn; nycxdesign.org/event/design-dysphoria.
May 19
International Contemporary Furniture Fair
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair returns for its 35th year with products presented by 450 established and emerging brands from more than 35 countries. Running alongside the event once again is Wanted, a platform emphasizing new talent. Through May 21 at the Javits Center, 429 11th Avenue; icff.com, wanteddesignnyc.com.
Apparatus New York
The design company Apparatus invites visitors to its evolving showroom in a presentation called “Scene Change” and displays an updated version of its Cylinder System, lighting introduced 10 years ago by its co-founder and artistic director, Gabriel Hendifar. Through May 21 at 124 West 30th Street, fourth floor; apparatusstudio.com.
Sight Unseen x Heymat
The design platform Sight Unseen has partnered with the Nordic rug maker Heymat to create the Iconic Women Collection, a trio of indoor mats with abstract compositions inspired by female designers of the past. The opening party is from 6 to 8 p.m. at Coming Soon, 53 Canal Street; sightunseen.com.
May 20
Ralph Pucci International
The Belgian designer Xavier Lust’s sculptural consoles, chairs and wall pieces will be exhibited alongside wood furniture by Chris Lehrecke, paintings by Rebecca Moses and photographs by Antoine Bootz. Through Aug. 31 at 44 West 18th Street; ralphpucci.com.
May 21
Picnic on Park
To celebrate the release of its 1973 “Hot Dog Picnic” poster, the legacy design company Herman Miller will serve bites from a hot dog cart at its Park Avenue South location. Daily through May 23, 12 to 2 p.m., at 251 Park Avenue South; hermanmiller.com.
May 22
“Architecture as Applied Utopias”
This event highlights models, drawings and videos from thesis projects by students of New York Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture and Design, in collaboration with the Brooklyn architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). From 6 to 9 p.m. at 45 Main Street, Suite 900, Brooklyn. Advance registration is required; nyit.edu/architecture.
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