Modern Design Across Borders

Global creativity and innovation converge in an exhibition that explores how modern design moved across borders to shape the aesthetics of everyday life.

Presented in celebration of The Wolfsonian-FIU’s 30th anniversary, Modern Design Across Borders examines how ideas and materials circulated internationally during the interwar period, forging a shared visual language of modernity, functionality and progress. Organized around five themes—transportation, the 1925 Paris Expo, tea and coffee, plywood, and cocktail culture—the exhibition reveals how design became a bridge between art, industry and cultural exchange.

Featuring works by Norman Bel Geddes, Josef Hoffmann, Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames, the presentation draws primarily from The Wolfsonian’s collection. Highlights include a 1960 BMW R 60/2 motorcycle with sidecar, Eva Zeisel’s Tomorrow’s Classic coffee service, Gerald Summers’s bent plywood armchair and the Soda King Syphon by Bel Geddes and Worthen Paxton. Together, these objects reflect the craftsmanship, innovation and imagination that defined a transformative era.

Curated by Silvia Barisione, the exhibition will be on view November 20-June 28 on the 6th floor of The Wolfsonian-FIU on Miami Beach.