Francesca Lavazza’s Favorite Moments of Miami Art Week 2025

Francesca Lavazza has long helped steer the Lavazza Group’s engagement with the arts. A board member of the family-founded company, she has been instrumental in shaping the brand’s dialogue with contemporary photography and visual culture—most notably through the Lavazza Calendar, which for more than three decades has served as a platform for some of the world’s most influential image-makers. 

This Miami Art Week marked a defining new chapter in that legacy, as Lavazza unveiled its 2026 Calendar for the very first time during Art Basel Miami Beach, situating the project within the global epicenter of contemporary art. Anchored in the “Pleasure Makes Us Human” campaign, the 2026 Lavazza Calendar—creatively directed by Armando Testa and photographed by Magnum photographer Alex Webb—became the centerpiece of a weeklong constellation of activations hosted by Lavazza across Miami.

From the Lavazza Lounge—which debuted Webb’s journey through Italy—to Design District installations and a Wynwood café takeover that translated la dolce vita into everyday ritual, the company positioned coffee as both cultural catalyst and shared language. Below, Lavazza shared with Whitewall her standout moments from Miami Art Week, where art, photography, and the simple joy of coffee converged on an international stage.

Best Events

Each year, Art Basel Miami Beach affirms its position not only as a global stage for contemporary art but also as a vibrant barometer of cultural currents. The 2025 edition was no exception. The fair—and the city surrounding it—offered a rich, multilayered experience in which artistic vision, curatorial rigor, and public enthusiasm converged with uncommon intensity.

Among the most rewarding moments was seeing the special sectors of Art Basel Miami Beach receive well-deserved recognition, as well as encountering artists I deeply admire, such as Luisa Rabbia, featured in the Meridians section. It is always compelling to witness how thoughtful curatorial choices can elevate an artist’s presence across different contexts within the fair. The Art Basel Awards Ceremony was a truly memorable celebration, a heartfelt recognition of the artists.

Best Exhibitions

One of the lasting impressions of this edition came from meeting a rising generation of artists, gallerists, and curators. Their proposals were bold, confident, and unafraid to navigate complex narratives. There is a certain clarity with which these younger voices approach the contemporary art ecosystem. Observing their work offered valuable insight into how this language continues to evolve, not only through aesthetic innovation but also through new ways of relating to communities, stories, and technologies.

Best Moment

A particularly meaningful moment for me was participating in the Conversations program, which featured the photographic project for the Lavazza Calendar 2026. Presenting this initiative within the context of Art Basel Miami Beach provided an opportunity to share the values and cultural vision that drive our longstanding commitment to the arts, and to sense the genuine curiosity of artists, gallerists, and cultural interlocutors. Their engagement reaffirmed the importance of building bridges between corporate cultural commitment and the broader artistic ecosystem.

Best Surprise

Surprises are part of what makes Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week so vibrant. One such moment was crossing paths with Beeple, whose installation was recently presented at the Castello di Rivoli, which I have the pleasure of presiding over. For me this encounter symbolized an alignment of contemporary languages that hold equal relevance and receive equal attention in both Europe and the United States.

Best Atmosphere

The city itself offered an extraordinary atmosphere. Miami was fully alive, open, coordinated, and generous in its programming on and off Art Basel Miami Beach. Museums, galleries, private collections, and public initiatives worked in harmony with the fair to create a sense of collective momentum. The resulting cultural ferment is not merely an atmosphere but a phenomenon: a unique blend of artistic experimentation, institutional dialogue, and civic openness. I also enjoyed the Es Devlin project The Library of Us at Faena Beach, an installation that truly captivated audiences of all ages.

Best Discovery

Every edition of Art Basel Miami Beach offers new discoveries—artists or performers whose work expands our understanding of contemporary practice. These encounters, whether serendipitous or intentional, are among the most valuable gifts of the fair. They remind us that the global art world is not a static constellation but an ever-evolving landscape shaped by curiosity, rigor, and imagination. I deeply appreciated the work of an extraordinary artist, Emma Amos, at Art Basel Miami Beach—at Ryan Lee Gallery. The works I had the chance to see were truly a revelation for me: a unique language that combines weaving and painting in an original and powerful way.