I love historic houses, the quirkier, the better. One of my favorites is Miami's Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. I once had a very strange experience there since I was the only visitor, wandering around the property all alone. Built in the 1910s as a winter home for agricultural industrialist James Deering (who was an International Harvesters executive) the house is an interesting Italianate structure with a mélange of styles in its interior. When I was there more than 10 years ago, the house felt a little run down and in need of some love. What excites me now is the Contemporary Arts Program Vizcaya is curating. The juxtaposition of contemporary artists working within a historical setting is so exhilarating!
To invigorate the museum Vizcaya has initiated a Contemporary Arts Project in which artists create art and installations that emerge from, capitalize on, and/or expand upon Vizcaya and its history. Here's some information about the most recent exhibition with New York Artist Francesco Simeti.
From Vizcaya's site: "Francesco Simeti's A seahorse, a caravel and large quantities of concrete, stone, fill, topsoil, tiles, piping, trees, and other plants is the winter/spring exhibition of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens' Contemporary Arts Project (CAP), a commission program that invites artists to develop site-specific projects inspired by Miami's most popular National Historic Landmark. The exhibition will be on view February 24–May 21, 2012.
New York-based artist Francesco Simeti transforms one of Vizcaya's outdoor fountains into a surreal theatrical set, providing a playful and melancholic commentary on the fragility of human endeavors. Inspired by the mechanical apparatuses that simulated natural phenomena in Baroque gardens, Simeti's animated assemblage is composed of floating sculptures representing elements of the estate. The project continues in the Main House exhibition room with an installation of historic artifacts pulled from storage and on display for the first time ever."
I would LOVE to see this exhibition at Vizcaya, so if you're in Miami, please go check it out and report back!
No comments:
Post a Comment