13 of the Most Extraordinary Pieces at Salon Art + Design 2019

From November 14 to 19, Salon Art + Design returns to the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan for its 2019 edition. The prestigious event showcases the best in vintage, modern, and contemporary design alongside blue-chip works of art at 56 booths set up by galleries hailing from 14 countries.

With hundreds of fairs taking place around the world, Salon distinguishes itself by creating immersive domestic environments that reflect the way people live with art and design. Highlights include French architect and designer Mathieu Lehanneur’s installation in the Colonel Room and South Hall, where he will display never-before-seen works, as well as American designer Frank Pollaro’s custom furnishings, all of which are handcrafted from rare woods. Perhaps Cherine Magrabi Tayeb sums it up best when she tells Galerie: “Design is art . . . and great design is always great art.”

Ahead of the opening, we asked four members of the honorary committee to share what caught their eye.

1. Cherine Magrabi Tayeb

“I grew up surrounded by both art and design so the commonality between the two is natural for me, although I’m aware it is still very much part of a contentious debate among many! Art and design are the manifest expression of personal emotions and intimate stories. For art, this is its essential intent. However, for design, it is simply one of many tools a creator will employ in the execution of his or her work. At Salon Art + Design this year, I fell for these pieces, which embody both.”

Recommended: Collector Cherine Magrabi Tayeb Opens Up Her Sensational Santa Monica Home

Misha Kahn, Kon Tiki (2016) at Friedman Benda. Photo: Courtesy of Friedman Benda

“I love this whimsical aluminum console on view at Friedman Benda by Misha Kahn, whose creative work sits at the intersection of art and design. Art and design are two articulations of an identical experience, where one cannot live without the other.”

Amber Cowan, Rosé Ombré Topiary in Basket (2017) at Heller Gallery. Photo: Courtesy of Heller Gallery

“This fantastical glass assemblage by Amber Cowan at Heller Gallery is made of flame-worked pressed glassware that was once produced by iconic American glass factories.”

Esther Bruton, Terrazzo fireplace (circa 1940) at Liz O’Brien. Photo: Courtesy of Liz O'Brien

“This stunning terrazzo fireplace by Esther Bruton at Liz O’Brien is surrounded with intricate grazing animals and Native American hunters.”

2. Alexandre Assouline

Amebe Studio, Cupola chandelier (2016) at David Gill Gallery. Photo: Courtesy of David Gill Gallery

“This Amebe Studio chandelier at David Gill Gallery is such a great work! It is surprising as well as intriguing. I’ve always been drawn to the Gothic style, and this piece perfectly exemplifies what I like about it. Placed above a beautiful round table, it would be a great conversation starter for guests. 
I don’t only like the object but also the light that it has managed to capture.”

Gabriella Crespi, Caleidoscopio floor lamp (1970) at Nilufar Gallery. Photo: Courtesy of Nilufar Gallery

“Gabriela Crespi is by far one of the best designers of the 20th century. She is synonymous with modern elegance.
 I can’t wait to see this 1970 Caleidoscopio floor lamp at Nilufar Gallery. This extremely creative, beautiful woman did not produce a lot, but each one of her creations is irresistible to me.”

Michael Hurwitz, Yellowheart Cabinet (2019) at Michael Wexler Gallery. Photo: Courtesy of Wexler Gallery

“This Michael Hurwitz cabinet at Michael Wexler Gallery is incredibly chic. It’s a piece that I would have at home: light, delicate, not pretentious.”

3. Amy Lau 

Pia Maria Raeder, Stardust Bench (2019) at Galerie BSL. Photo: Courtesy of Galerie BSL

“I couldn’t be more excited to see Pia-Maria Raeder’s incredibly compelling Stardust Bench at Galerie BSL. An extraordinary amount of beechwood half pearls—28,500—have been meticulously applied to the surface of an undulating sculptural bench one by one with a silver-based coating and a waxed-concrete finish. This piece is sure to be quite a showstopper!”

Recommended: Inside Clarissa Bronfman’s Art-Filled Hamptons Retreat Designed by Amy Lau 

Johnny Swing, Archipelago cocktail table (2019) at R&Co. Photo: Courtesy of R & Company

“I am also very enthusiastic about seeing is Johnny Swing’s new limited-edition low table at R&Co, shaped in a very unique organic form and entirely covered with silver coins, but even more impressive are the four legs on the table holding the top that appear to look like sculptures themselves. Made out of metal rods, they remind me of works created by sculptor Richard Lippold or architect Harry Bertoia.”

4. Carlos Mota

Jonathan Trayte, Gloss Pear Fruit and Lunar Green (2019) at Friedman Benda. Photo: Courtesy of Friedman Benda

“When I go to fairs I look for the surprise element. I love these metal fruits at Friedman Benda by Jonathan Trayte—I think they are amazing. They feel new and fresh, and I like how you can see the craftsmanship.”

Recommended: Inside Furnituremaker Frank Pollaro’s Fascinating Workshop

“Furniture is very replaceable so I always advise to buy something that you truly love and want to see in your house for a long time. I can’t wait to see the sofa designed by Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti in 1991 at Gabriele Guillaume, a pair of pair of Jennifer Nocon ceramic stoneware table lamps on view at Liz O’Brien Gallery, and this pair of Mattia Bonetti armchairs at David Gill Gallery.”

Mattia Bonetti, Buckle armchairs (2017) at David Gill Gallery. Photo: Courtesy of David Gill Gallery

Jennifer Nocon, Untitled 22 (2018) at Liz O’Brien Gallery. Photo: Courtesy of Liz O'Brien

Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti sofa (1991) at Gabriele Guillaume. Photo: Courtesy of Gabriel et Guillaume

Salon Art + Design is on view at the Park Avenue Armory from November 14 to 18, 2019.