Alex Turco in front of his installation at Acqualina.
Ryan Troy
Even if the name Alex Turco doesn’t immediately ring a bell, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered a work he’s behind on one of your trips.
The Italian artist and designer’s distinctive creations can be found in high-end hotels worldwide including the Bellagio and The Venetian in Las Vegas, the Four Seasons Hotel London, Nobu Hotel Doha, and W Hotel Dubai. His works also appear at Acqualina Resort in Miami, Stay AKA in New York City and Amari Hotel Pattaya in Thailand.
Now, visitors have a chance to enjoy Turco’s craft in a more intimate setting. The internationally recognized artist recently opened the Alex Turco Art Gallery in Miami Beach’s South Beach neighborhood, bringing his newest collection, Only One, to a city that has become a global destination for art and design.
Located on Lenox Avenue, the gallery serves as the U.S. home for Turco’s collectible design practice and showcases a series of one-of-a-kind sculptures, textured wall pieces, and functional design objects. Every work in the collection is unique and will never be reproduced.
For travelers interested in art, the opening adds another compelling stop to Miami Beach’s cultural landscape. The city has evolved well beyond its reputation for beaches and nightlife, increasingly attracting collectors, designers and architecture enthusiasts, particularly around major events such as Art Basel Miami Beach.
Turco’s arrival feels like a natural fit. Born into a family of artists and photographers in Italy, he has built a career exploring the relationship between nature, materiality and design. Working between Italy and the United States, he creates both collectible design objects and paintings that reflect a minimalist sensibility informed by natural forms and geological elements.
His latest collection pushes those themes further. The pieces incorporate materials such as volcanic stone, sea sponges, salt, charred wood and calcified minerals gathered from locations around the world. Using his signature epoxy resin techniques, Turco transforms these raw elements into sculptural works that blur the boundaries between art, design and architecture.
“Each piece holds the memory of a place,” he says. “This collection is about transforming nature into art while preserving its essence. These works are not inspired by nature, they are nature, transformed.”
That connection to place helps explain why his work resonates so strongly in hospitality settings. Hotels increasingly seek art that creates a sense of discovery and emotional connection for guests, and Turco’s pieces tend to be conversation starters. Travelers may encounter one of his installations in a hotel lobby, restaurant or suite and find themselves drawn to the textures and natural materials embedded within the work.
For visitors to Miami, Turco’s new gallery offers an opportunity to discover an artist whose work is on display at celebrated hotels. And for those who have admired one of his pieces during a stay in London, Dubai, Doha, or Las Vegas, it offers something even rarer: the chance to meet the artist himself and explore the ideas that connect travel, nature, and contemporary design.