That Ain’t Heavy, It’s My Turntable

MIAMI—In the 1960s, "heavy" was a compliment meaning seriously cool. At Design Miami 2007, it’s the only adjective possible to describe the boomlet in thoroughly weighty objects. New York’s Friedman Benda has suddenly unearthed Ron Arad’s Concrete Stereo (1983), a two-part stereo system made in the rough gray material of the title. Evidently it still works, and the piece may be in the process of being purchased by a “major American museum.” This is what the Flintstones would spin their 78s on.

Also in concrete, with some reinforced iron, is the chic-but-forbidding Domage a Corbu, grand confort, sans confort (1980), by Stefan Zwicky, a conceptual piece from the same era as Arad’s that tips the hat to Corbusier’s famed grand confort chair. The Zwicky weighs one ton and took 12 men and a forklift to get into the fair’s Moore Building. The folks at New York’s Demisch Danant won’t say exactly what they just sold it for, but the figure is north of $40,000.

More recent monumental work is found over in Murray Moss’s area, where he has a mini show called “Heavy Metal,” featuring five international designers. The most striking work may be Cupboard (2007), by Maarten Bass of the Netherlands. The 900-pounder is made of metal but has been faux-painted to look like wood, and it has a wavy, undulating surface. It’s still unsold at $150,000.

All three works are on view until Sunday—if the building hasn’t collapsed by then.

Ted Loos is executive editor of Art+Auction. His wine column "In the Cellar" appears on ARTINFO every other Wednesday.