Editorial

Baffling contrasts. Is painting a way to mimic reality, or is it more about inventing a different one while fooling us in the process? Still life was cultivated four hundred years ago by Dutch masters, like Willem van Aelst, Rachel Ruysch and David van Heem. With the excuse to depict worldly possessions and whatnot, these painters explored “the given” (as Francis Bacon … +

Francisco Luna grew up around a big library that his grandmother had in her living room, back in his natal La Plata, Argentina. The library covered a whole wall from the floor to the ceiling and it was filled up with tons of books, old and new, written in Spanish, German, Italian and English. \As a kid, he would spend time imagining … +

The element of mystery has always been an integral part of the art world, The disappearance of Fernando Garcia is one of those mysteries in that world that cries out for resolution. His voluminous body of work, the joy of viewing it and it’s potential influence on generations of artists has slipped away, mysteriously.

Brandon Opalka’s Miami Beach studio is part construction site and part art installation. Located on Liberty Avenue and 20th Street, Opalka is one of the first artists to work in what the City of Miami Beach hopes will soon become Miami’s newest arts district. When I arrive, Opalka is outside of his studio with friend and fellow artist Carlos Stincer.

Thoughts of a painter. “Everything done with honesty should be admired, or at least deserve a few minutes of observation.” Thus begins a reflection by Raul de la Nuez about his inseparable relationship with art. “We artists enjoy life in a very peculiar way. We don’t see green or blue or black and white, but all the tonalities of green, the nuances … +

Until May of 2006, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a collection of Salvador Dalí’s monumental sculptures, presented all together for the first time at the Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables. Organized by A+ Gallery, this may be a unique occasion to revisit the work of one of the most prominent artists of the Twentieth Century. Dalí was, at … +

Kuhl and Leyton have been collaborating for over two years, and have worked closely as artists for over seven years.  Kuhl and Leyton’s collaborative works depict crime scenes, emergencies and crisis situations.  Their work draws upon mass media’s conventional mode of documenting states of emergency. Police officers, security guards, emergency medical technicians, crime scene investigators, detectives and firefighters are the government forces … +

A list of movers and shakers in Miami’s art community would likely be topped with names of private collectors and art dealers. One name to start looking for on such a list is Ilana Vardy. Art + Auction included her among its Power List 2004 for the work she’s done directing Art Miami and launching Chicago’s Navy Pier, Chicago Contemporary & Classic … +

“My name is Ana. Nowadays people go to museums to look at my artworks, which means to look at me. You may find on display a picture of me from when I was a little girl, dressed as a butterfly by the beach. I still remember that day at mi aunt’s back in the island where I first set down roots before … +

The Centro Cultural Español (CCE) has once again expanded beyond the boundaries of Coral Gables into Wynwood Art District. During December it will have two exhibitions showing at the same time in these two different locations (Coral Gables and Wynwood). Clima X In collaboration with Goldman Properties, the center kicks off CLIMA X, an exhibit by the legendary art collective Jus d’art … +

Hanging by a Thread features over 25 established, mid-career, and emerging artists devoted to the use of stitch and craft in contemporary art. This exhibition pays tribute to the 1998 exhibition Loose Threads, curated by Lisa Corrin at the Serpentine Gallery in London. The Miami curators draw parallels to Corrin’s exhibition by including artists from the Loose Threads roster such as Tracey … +

Flying has been an obsession of human beings for centuries. From Da Vinci’s drawings to the Right brothers the iconography that supports this idea is impossible to catalogue. There are innumerable examples of artists who had worked with this theme. Symbols have varied according to the epoch, however, birds and wings are perhaps the most common in this repertoire. From religious to … +

We all heard about the “emerging” applied to young, talented artists, meaning coming out to be noticed, or perhaps being on the rocky path to success. However, we rarely see this term applied to an art gallery director or a curator like they were naturally labeled “established”. But emerging anyways, Miami art scene sees many new initiatives run by fresh professionals. Just … +

There is a parallel to be made between the International Ballet Festival of Miami and the area it benefits, South Florida. For too many years, this region was considered merely a beachside resort with few redeeming features besides good weather and lovely beaches. A traveler went to New York or London for entertainment. One certainly didn’t go to Miami for its plethora … +

Just as temperatures begin to cool down in Miami this fall, things will really be heating up in the arts and entertainment scene with this year’s Miami Short Film Festival. Now in its fourth year, the festival promises to deliver even more of the critically acclaimed and award-winning films it has come to be known for. Past winners include, The Fine Line … +

On its third year – the premier art show of Latin America, Merrill Lynch arteaméricas, the art fair devoted exclusively to art from Latin America, returns to Miami for its third year opens, April 7 through April 11, 2005, at the Coconut Grove Convention Center, Miami, Fla. In less than three years, Merrill Lynch arteaméricas has become the premier fair of art … +

FeCuOp is a contemporary art collaborative established in 1997 by Jason Ferguson, Brandon Opalka and Christian Curiel. The name constitutes an amalgam of the three artist’s names. Much like the periodic table of elements, the unique characteristics of each member bring a unique variable property to every collaboration. Each an artist in their own right, together FeCuOp fuses to create work that … +

Virginia Miller, described by a leading magazine as “the undisputed doyenne of South Florida art dealers,”  has presented more than 300 public exhibitions of art ranging from works by acknowledged masters to the initial exhibitions of emerging artists, all with several common characteristics. “The work that I’ve shown reflects my taste and my judgment,” said the veteran art dealer. “I’ve always tried … +

In the early 1990s—when the number of significant international art fairs could still be counted on one hand—Art Miami awakened South Florida with a new mission. A tourist destination known primarily for its sex appeal, sunshine and Art Deco, Miami was not yet the cultural hotspot of the new millennium.  A modern and contemporary art fair was a courageous and bold venture, … +

The international art world’s favorite winter meeting place. The third edition of Art Basel Miami Beach will take place from December 2 to 5, 2004. America’s most important art show is the favorite winter meeting place of the international art world. From a record number of 530 applications, the Selection Committee chose 180 galleries from the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Asia and … +

A conversation with Alette Simmons-Jimenez 2004. Alette Simmons-Jimenez created Artformz Alternative art space at Miami Design District. Since then, the artist has been continually invigorating it with collaborative exhibitions. I’m now entering Artformz, two years after its creation. I’m really keen about getting the insight of her artist space model.