This year, Design Miami/ Basel welcomed two very well-received new exhibitors to its gallery programme: Foreign Agent (Lausanne) and Galerie Gastou (Paris). Founded in 2019, Foreign Agent is local to Switzerland, but specializes in emerging and mid-career contemporary talent from Africa, the Diaspora and beyond, exploring key contemporary narratives, marginalized identities and new critical perspectives on history. The focus of the gallery’s debut Basel booth was a collection of works by Ouagadougou-born Hamed Ouattara, who transforms and up-cycles discarded objects into modern design. Each of his pieces honors the life of its materials - encompassing stories of environmental injustice and global consumerism. Ouattara’s BOLIBANA furniture collection shown in Basel included a series of exquisitely crafted pieces formed from repurposed engine oil drum sheet metals.
“Foreign Agent was thrilled to take part in Design Miami/ Basel and our first participation was a great success. Our booth stood out aesthetically and in terms of storytelling and its focus on showcasing African artists. We made many new contacts at the fair and received strong interest from collectors and prestigious institutions, and look forward to the exciting future opportunities this presents for our designers.” - Olivier Chow, Founding Director of Foreign Agent
