Design Dialogues No. 6: Art Basel Miami Beach

Surface held the sixth installment of Design Dialogues on Dec. 4 at the Moore Building in Miami's Design District. An unexpected pairing brought Kanye West and Jacques Herzog together in dialogue with Hans Ulrich Obrist. The three brought their own areas of expertise to the discussion, speaking of their recent projects—West of his new album, Yeezus, and Herzog of the just-opened Pérez Art Museum Miami. United by a mutual interest in art, design, and architecture, the panelists discussed a range of topics, from experimental artist Joseph Beuys to good taste to Miami’s Art Deco architecture. Herzog and West each offered advice for aspiring designers. “Architecture should respond to all the five senses,” Herzog said. Meanwhile West discussed his own design-learning process. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions to a person who’s an expert,” West said, perhaps in reference to his co-panelist. The discussion, which lasted over an hour, revealed what brought the three men together—their endless curiosity for exploring disciplines both familiar and unfamiliar. Afterward, guests sipped on specialty Corzo cocktails and bites from Shake Shack to the beats of star DJ Jus-Ske.