Marjan van Aubel has been on a mission to demystify solar design for more than a decade now. She first sparked an interest in green technology while studying at London’s Royal College of Art and soon after collaborated with the EPFL+ECAL lab in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she worked on developing a flexible solar cell application. Her award-winning Amsterdam practice is constantly investigating new ways to “inspire people to think differently about the future of solar technology,” she tells Surface, beyond standard rooftop panels.

She outfitted the Netherlands Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 with patterned solar cell skylights, launched the inaugural Solar Biennale at cultural institutions across the Netherlands, and even published a book, called Solar Futures, that features interviews with solar experts like textile innovator Pauline van Dongen and companies like Lightyear, a solar-powered vehicle in which every square inch of surface area is intended to harvest energy.

The latter innovation perhaps forecasts her latest undertaking, a to-scale solar sculpture that reimagines the Lexus Future Zero-Emission Catalyst concept car as an interactive experience in the gardens of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Titled 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds in reference to the time it takes sunlight to reach the Earth, the true-to-size model’s silhouette is formed using sheets of organic photovoltaics, or third-generation solar cells that are transparent yet brimming with color, and accumulate energy into batteries discreetly nestled within the sculpture’s base.

The electric battery platform is “the sculpture’s heart both literally and conceptually,” van Aubel says. “It illuminates the piece and responds to the presence of visitors with changing color, light, and sound that create a dynamic, changing experience.” It’s both an impressive demonstration of what smart solar design can accomplish—not only scientifically, but aesthetically—and a welcome reprieve from bustling Miami Art Week. At unexpected intervals, the installation springs to life in an ephemeral spectacle designed by spatial experience firm Random Studios. Light cascades throughout as an ambient, birdsong-embellished melody crescendos, mirroring the dynamics of a car in motion and offering a sensory glimpse into the energy of driving.

In an exclusive interview, van Aubel walked us through her thinking behind 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds and shares how solar technology can shape automotive design in the future.

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As the highly anticipated fair’s most international edition kicks off, its artistic director shared his highlights exclusively with Surface during the VIP preview.

Felipe Pantone is one of today’s top glitch artists whose pixelated paintings have redefined the medium since it emerged in the late 1960s. His stylized manipulations of digital photos and videos evoke the kind of disjointed screen image you might see on a jammed VHS tape. Now, Pantone—talk about an apt surname—has brought his talents to Miami Art Week to realize an interactive kinetic and digital art show created in partnership with Tequila Don Julio.

As part of the brand’s Por Amor (For Love) campaign honoring Mexican culture, Pantone’s installation incorporates video and photography shot throughout the country by Mexican photographers, including Thalia Gochez, along with directors and stylists, giving the culture pride of place at Art Basel Miami Beach. The interactive work launches at noon today at The Temple House. According to the Argentine-Spanish artist, Mexico is a special place that is close to his heart. “I was born in Argentina, I live in Spain, and I’ve been to Mexico more times than I’ve been to Argentina,” he told Surface. “It’s literally my second home. I love the culture, the cities, the nature, and the overall freedom you experience there.”

The French fine jeweler has always embodied a Parisian sensibility, but New York is an inextricable part of its legacy too—two of its most widely recognized bracelets, the Love and Juste un Clou, were designed by downtown denizen Aldo Cipullo. The maison’s newly opened SoHo boutique embodies the best of both metropolitan hubs: interior design by Studioparisien includes a gallery, speakeasy and lounge, loft, and landscaped rooftop garden in the neighborhood’s landmarked Cast Iron Historic District.

The boutique seems to take more than a few cues from Manhattan’s reputation as a hotspot for sleek restaurants and polished private clubs. A residential-style dining room, library, and sitting room are ready made to entertain VICs and friends of the maison for numerous evenings in impeccable style. What’s more, the location will also offer exclusive versions of Cartier eyewear, stationery, and limited editions of the Écrou bracelet and Panthère de Cartier timepiece.

In a world eager to paint, varnish, stain, and lacquer wood in all its forms, Vaarnii’s 2021 debut at London Design Week also caught the attention of design enthusiasts across the pond. Vaarnii collaborates with a multitude of contemporary designers, including Max Lamb, Frederick Paulsen, Kwangho Lee, and Soft Baroque to produce Finnish Pine furniture and home accessories that predate the genre of Finnish Modernism popularized by Alvar Aalto.

Until recently, if a collector wanted to judge for themselves the comfort of Lamb’s geometric lounge chair or how exactly the faces of Lee’s totem-like side table are joined, they would need to trek to Los Angeles, Canada, or overseas to do so. That recently changed thanks to Suite NY, where the brand recently put down roots in New York City. For more than a decade, Suite NY has brought the wares of some of the most high-profile global designers to industry professionals and the public alike from a light-filled 8,000 square-foot showroom where shoppers can discover pieces by the likes of Achille Castiglioni and Jaime Hayon, along with new launches from exciting upstarts, like Hirvonen’s Vaarnii.

This week, White Cube gallery toasted the beginning of Art Basel Miami Beach with a who’s who of art world luminaries. Founder Jay Jopling brought a crowd of artists, along with movers and shakers from impactful museums, non-profits, and patron foundations to the shores of Soho Beach House, where White Cube artists Ilana Savdie and Harland Miller currently have works on view. Guests were treated to a live performance by Mercury Prize–winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective and Casa Dragones cocktails to celebrate the week.

When was it? Dec. 5

Where was it? Soho Beach House, Miami

Who was there? Naomi Beckwith, Anne Pasternak, Yvonne Force Villareal, Miles Greenberg, Dustin Yellin, Studio Drift, and more.

Established in 1586 in the forest of Moselle, France, Saint-Louis escapes the ephemeral with more than 430 years of mouth-blown and handmade creations, ranging from tableware and decoration to lighting and beyond.

Surface Says: One of France’s most venerated crystal manufacturers, Saint-Louis skillfully reconciles 19th-century artisan know-how with contemporary style. Some of our favorite designers—Paola Navone, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, Kiki van Eijk—have created unforgettable pieces for the company.

“Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé” offers a global superstar at peak performance.

Jean Fautrier’s new catalogue raisonné reveals a productive subverter of genres.

Designers reimagine the Bouroullec brothers’ Belleville chair in 53 ways.

ChatGPT and Oppenheimer top Wikipedia’s list of most popular articles.