MIAMI BEACH, FL (MAY 04, 2007)—The Wolfsonian-Florida International University announces a gift by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid who has designed a new piece and donated it to the museum to help raise funds for an institution whose collection and mission she believes in. This unique object, marked Artist Proof #2, was hand wrought by the prestigious Milan-based design gallery, Sawaya & Moroni, which bases its production on a number of contemporary design exponents that emphasize different cultural backgrounds and design concepts. The sale, whose proceeds will support The Wolfsonian-FIU’s programs, will be handled by Sotheby’s in New York, as part of their 20th Century Design auction, scheduled for June 19, 2007.

The silver bowl, a fluid, curvilinear geometric form, continues the morphological design language Hadid has explored and developed over the past three decades. The object’s evolutionary lineage is apparent in Hadid’s past projects, including: “Z-Scape Furniture” for Sawaya & Moroni (2003); “Tea & Coffee Set” for Alessi (2003); “Aqua Table” for Established & Sons (2005); the Hotel Puerta America interiors (2005); and “Elastika” for Design Miami (2005).

While at first appearing unscripted and spontaneous, the bowl’s volume follows the overriding formal logic of Hadid's research into systems of continuous transformations and smooth transitions. That is, the object’s elegant sculptural mass is slightly concave at its center, which, responding to the diffusion of energy generated at its perimeter, invites an exploration of natural forces and affords a unique contextual relationship within any environment.

The reflection of light from the bowl's surface further develops Hadid’s dialogue of the dichotomy between the powerful solidity of sterling silver and organic, morphological forms. In essence, light generates an additional dimensional relationship that captures the ephemeral qualities and diffused formations of clouds, which, here, are solidified in sterling silver. The result is exquisite and sensual.

Zaha Hadid, a London-based architect, is a prominent recipient of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture. Born in Baghdad in 1950, Hadid first gained acclaim for her winning entry in the Peak Club Competition (1983) in Hong Kong. Internationally known for both her theoretical and academic work, each of Hadid’s innovative projects builds on over thirty years of revolutionary experimentation and research in the interrelated fields of urbanism, architecture, as well as product and furniture design. Her seminal built works, including the Vitra Fire Station in Weil am Rhein, Germany (1993), the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati (2003), and the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, Germany (2005), have been hailed as architecture that transforms our vision of the future with new spatial concepts and bold, visionary forms.

Hadid’s work has been the subject of critically-acclaimed exhibitions around the world. These include the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin; the MAK in Vienna; as well as the Singapore Art Museum and Hara Museum in Tokyo. Her work also forms part of the permanent collections of various institutions such as MoMA New York and MoMA San Francisco. Zaha Hadid’s fluid and dynamic product designs attract global attention. The Aqua Table, for instance, achieved a world-record price at a 2005 sale in New York.

About The Wolfsonian–Florida International University
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, political, and technological changes that have transformed the world. The approximately 120,000 artifacts that comprise The Wolfsonian collection range from fine art, graphic design, and political propaganda to furniture, rare books, and ephemeral materials such as postcards and travel brochures. Since opening to the public just ten years ago, The Wolfsonian has developed and disseminated critically acclaimed exhibitions, publications, and educational programs that highlight the impact of design in shaping the modern world. Its vast patrimony of primary source materials provides unparalleled opportunities for scholarship and appreciation, making it a unique resource for local, national, and international audiences.

The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Fla. Admission is $7 adults; $5 seniors, students, and children six-12; free for Wolfsonian members, State University System of Florida staff and students with ID, children under six, and Miami Beach residents with ID. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm; Thursday and Friday from noon-9pm; and is closed on Wednesday. Contact us at 305.531.1001 or visit us online at www.wolfsonian.org.

The Wolfsonian receives ongoing support from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Continental Airlines, the preferred airline of The Wolfsonian; the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation; and Karla Conceptual Event Experiences.

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