LARA BOHINC BRINGS A COLORFUL UTOPIA TO THE MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT JUST IN TIME FOR ART WEEK.

Portrait of Lara Bohinc PORTRAIT BY REBECCA REID

Lara Bohinc’s new sculptural works for the Miami Design District offer an inviting vision of utopian coexistence between nature and the city. From her London studio, designer Lara Bohinc (@larabohinc) has conceived a series of organic, biomorphic sculptures that perfectly integrate natural and human environments. Chosen by Miami Design District for its 2023 Annual Design Commission, and in collaboration with Design Miami/ Curatorial Lab, Bohinc’s Utopia spans four installations across the District, mushrooming into existence with their friendly yet mysterious presence.

The bulbous, irregular forms reference growing cellular organisms and lifeforms. Painted by hand in vibrant, lively colors, they seem like friendly creatures that come to inhabit the city.

Collectively, the installations ask us to envision a world where nature can thrive in our constructed habitats.

The centerpiece is a human-scale egg sculpture titled “Beginning,” which serves as a light installation and hiding place for children. For Utopia, Bohinc took inspiration from Buckminster Fuller’s spaceship-like “Fly’s Eye Dome”’s extraterrestrial appearance, sparking concepts around nature overtaking urban spaces like friendly aliens.

Spirit’ standing light sculpture by Bohinc Studio in the Miami Design District_CGI ART PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT

Otherworldly mushrooms, blooms and seedlings emerge as if sprung from this egg, scattered around courtyard spaces.

“The Dome looks like it belongs to Mars, and I think this extraterrestrial aspect helped inspire the concept of ‘nature overtaking cities,’z which is not so dissimilar to the idea of aliens visiting Earth,” explains Bohinc. “I positioned the Spirit sculpture in front of the Dome so that it suggests ‘The Spirit’ exited the Dome and entered the Palm Court, showing the way to the other ‘creatures’ to inhabit Miami Design District.”

By day, the sculptures provide places to sit, relax and commune, with ergonomic chairs, stools, sofas and benches shaped from the same biomorphic language. At night, solar-powered lamps create a cozy glow to illuminate the spaces. Tiny, colorful ‘eggs’ are suspended in trees, providing sanctuary for native birds. The designs integrate functionality, comfort and playfulness into the District’s outdoor areas.

Made from sustainable cork harvested without felling trees, the tactile, durable sculptures engage ideas around environmentalism and our relationship with nature.

The choice of material underscores the concept, while cork’s natural waterproofing suits the outdoor context. Steel frames add stability and grounding to the floating forms.

Bohinc fused traditional hand-painting techniques with state-of-the-art robotic 5D milling to achieve the sculptural pieces. The combination of analog and digital fabrication connects the past and future.

Ultimately, Utopia offers moments of respite, gathering and reflection within the city landscape. Playful yet provocative, the installations invite us to reevaluate how we might integrate and commune with our natural environments in contexts of harmony rather than dominance, all the while taking in the beautiful and vibrant setting of the Miami Design District. Bohinc’s organic oasis provides an optimistic vision of this utopian coexistence. Miami Design District, Miami, @miamidesigndistrict