(November 15, 2023 – Miami, FL) – Today, Faena Art, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, announced further public programming for Miami Art Week 2023, presenting four major installations, collectively titled ‘Spaces of Influence: Shaping Community in the Modern World.’ Opening Tuesday December 5, this exhibition unites provocative art installations across the Faena District that explore the tension between community and individuality, technology and tradition, power and grassroots. From the AI-generated pathways of Sebastian Errazuriz’s maze to the nostalgic corners of Kelly Breez’s ‘Dirt’s Dive,’ to Beeple’s dystopian vision of climate change, and culminating in the epic struggle depicted inBattle of the Corporate Nations, this collective showcase invites viewers to navigate and question the evolving landscapes that define our sense of community in a rapidly changing world.
Courtesy the artist and Faena Art.
“We are elated to unveil ‘Spaces of Influence: Shaping Community in the Modern World’ at this year’s Miami Art Week,” says Alan Faena. “This ambitious exhibition brings together Sebastian Errazuriz’s pioneering explorations of technology, design, and community, which stand as a testament to Faena Art’s dedication to championing today’s foremost creative minds. Alongside him, we’re honored to showcase the work of local artist Kelly Breez, who captivates us with her vibrant and authentic tribute to Miami’s unique social fabric. We are also proud to present, in partnership with The Reefline, an important sculpture by digital artist Beeple, that highlights the threat of climate change. Collectively, their installations serve as an engaging lens through which we can explore and celebrate the evolving dynamics of community in our modern world.”
Opening on December 5, the centerpiece of this year’s Miami Art Week programming will be a newly commissioned and monumental maze installation by artist, designer, and activist Sebastian Errazuriz (b. 1977, Santiago, Chile) located at Faena Beach. Designed using popular artificial intelligence (AI) platforms Midjourney and DALLE2, the sand-covered labyrinth titled MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self invites visitors to explore its intricate pathways, eventually converging at a reflective monolith at the center. This monolith will serve as both an art piece and a gathering spot for performances and community interaction throughout Miami Art Week. The groundbreaking installation invites visitors to reflect on the ways in which AI is increasingly shaping the world, and the subsequent urgency for “IRL” human and community interaction. Erraruiz urges viewers to consider the ways in which communal interactions will help humankind navigate the ethical complexities and potential biases that come with AI, to ensure that technology serves humanity, not the other way around.
Concurrently, Errazuriz will release a new book titled AI MAZE, accessible via QR codes within the maze. This book delves into the transformative influence of AI on various aspects of contemporary life, from education and healthcare to the economy and warfare. Each page of AI MAZE features a unique QR code, encouraging reader engagement and gathering crowd-sourced opinions on the societal implications of AI. Errazuriz’s aim is twofold: to provide an escape into self-discovery through the maze and to create a communal platform for dialogues about our rapidly digitizing world.
“This is the first maze designed not to get lost, but instead to find ourselves,” says the artist Sebastian Errazuriz. “A small oasis to temporarily escape, disconnect and reconnect with what is important. A place to have conversations on society’s upcoming technological and environmental challenges. The public installation will be inaugurated in parallel with the launch of a book, AI MAZE, that helps society imagine our future interacting with artificial intelligence. The public art installation and book will be accompanied by a series of panel talks on AI, and its transformative role for the creative industries.”
In addition, Errazuriz’s new marble sculpture, titled Battle of the Corporate Nations, will be showcased at the Faena Hotel Cathedral from December 5, 2023, to March 30, 2024. This work humorously casts tech moguls Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos in an epic struggle, reminiscent of the grand mythological battles depicted by early Italian Renaissance artists like Michelangelo.
Also on view in the Faena Cathedral will be digital artist Beeple’s groundbreaking sculpture S.2122 (2023), presented by Faena Art in partnership with The Reefline. The kinetic sculpture embraces blockchain technology, digital video and a three-dimensional sculptural form to offer a sci-fi inspired meditation on climate change and our place in an imagined future. The work depicts a decaying building complex set in the future, slowly being buried underwater as hypnotic drones circle overhead. To raise awareness for climate change and rising sea levels, Beeple will raise the water levels in the work every five years until the building is completely submerged.
“Much like The Reefline, which bridges the realms of marine conservation with art, I have planned the evolution of S.2122 –every 5 years, the water level inside this virtual ecosystem will rise by a quarter, leading to the entire structure being engulfed in a span of 25 years. The inhabitants will evolve and adapt, symbolizing not just the resilience of humanity in the face of climate change, but also our inherent ability to thrive amidst adversities,” commented Beeple.
On the occasion of Miami Art Week 2023, Faena Art will also present an immersive exhibition by Miami-based artist Kelly Breez (b. 1985, Lake Worth, Florida) in the Faena Art Project Room, Faena Art’s permanent space in Miami Beach for artistic innovation and community-oriented exploration. To celebrate the installation, Faena Art will host a special event during Miami Art Week on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, featuring gourmet culinary offerings by Chef Paul Qui, specialty cocktails, and live DJ entertainment.
Breez will transport visitors to the nostalgic, vanished bar scenes of old South Florida by creating‘Dirt’s Dive’, a fantastical bar environment that will feature life-sized cut-out figures, dynamic sculptures, and drawings reminiscent of vibrant bar decor. Through playful manipulation of scale, Breez crafts an alternate universe that oscillates between the familiar and the fantastical. Born and raised in South Florida, Breez weaves her personal history and local lore into her distinctive aesthetic narrative.
“Creating an installation like Dirt’s is as much about story-telling as it is about art-making,” says artist Kelly Breez. “Old haunts like Dirt’s are teeming with history and stories, and I find them super inspirational. Creating an installation like this has been a dream of mine for years. I’m fascinated by relics and this space will be full of them.”
The artist shines a spotlight on the dwindling presence of the classic dive bar, a communal space where unplanned encounters and authentic experiences once thrived. Set against the high-octane backdrop of Miami Art Week, the exhibition offers a poignant commentary on the disappearance of Miami’s vintage watering holes, swallowed up by modern glitz. As one of the most archaic forms of communal spaces, the bar symbolizes a gathering place for exchanging experiences and tales. In this sense, ‘Dirt’s Dive’ is a vibrant tribute to bars as the enduring pillars of community and self-expression.
In their respective works, Sebastian Errazuriz, Beeple, and Kelly Breez are focused on how communal spaces and shared experiences are evolving due to societal changes—whether it be the advent of AI and technology, the devastating effects of climate change and rising sea levels, or the transformation and disappearance of traditional social spaces like dive bars. Sebastian Errazuriz’s maze, with its AI elements and community engagement via QR codes, questions how technology impacts our self-perception, communal interactions, and even our collective future. Beeple’s kinetic sculpture reflects the alarming effects of climate change on our existing infrastructures. On the other hand, Kelly Breez’s ‘Dirt’s Dive’ is a tribute to a vanishing element of local culture and communal space—the dive bar. While one looks forward and the other looks back, both artists examine the essence of communal spaces and interactions, inviting visitors to question and understand the changing nature of community in a rapidly evolving world.
Faena Art will also present an exhibition by local Miami artist Liene Bosquê for the 2023 edition of No Vacancy, in partnership with the City of Miami Beach. No Vacancy is a juried art competition that supports and celebrates mainly local artists, provokes critical discourse, and encourages the public to experience Miami Beach’s famed hotels as temporary art destinations in their own right. This year, 12 artists created 12 installations across iconic Miami hotels and will be on view from November 16 through December 14, 2023. Bosquê will present Before Miami Design Preservation League, a site-specific installation based on the now demolished and lost building silhouettes of Miami Beach before the 1980s.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Special thanks to Chase Sapphire for their generous support of Faena Art’s projects at Miami Art Week 2023.
About Faena Art
Faena Art is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that commissions, produces, and houses cross-disciplinary artistic experiences with an emphasis on cultivating community and supporting artists locally and abroad. A catalyst for innovative, site-specific, and immersive practices, Faena Art bridges the popular and the experimental making art accessible to all. Faena Art fosters new models for social interaction transcending the traditional boundaries of art, science, philosophy, and social practice. Established in 2011, Faena Art continues to commission major installations and exhibitions that are a major highlight of Miami Art Week and the city’s vibrant cultural scene at large. Over the past 12 years, their programming has expanded to include a biannual art prize, permanent exhibition spaces, and residencies across both Miami and Buenos Aires.
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SPECIAL EVENTS
Tuesday, December 5:
Grand Opening of MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self by Sebastian Errazuriz on Faena Beach and Battle of the Corporate Nations and Beeple’s S.2122 (2023) sculpture at Faena Cathedral
Wednesday, December 6:
Art Week Opening in Celebration of Kelly Breez’s exhibition ‘Dirt’s Dive’ in the Faena Art Project Room
- Culinary experience with Chef Paul Qui, special cocktails, Live DJs
About Sebastian Errazuriz
One of the most prolific designers of his generation, Errazuriz is an expert in the art and science of creativity. His large-scale public art installations have included Times Square, the New Museum in New York and the National Stadium in Chile. His art and design works have been showcased in more than 100 exhibitions and are included in permanent museum collections around the world. Errazuriz has been a guest speaker at Harvard’s Tech Lab, The Draper CEO Summit, Tate Modern, Sotheby’s Contemporary Art, Art Basel, and New York’s Museum of Art and Design.
About Beeple
Michael Joseph Winkelmann (b. 1981), known professionally as Beeple, is an American digital artist, graphic designer, and animator known for selling NFTs. In his art, he uses various media to create comical, phantasmagoric works that make political and social commentary while using pop culture figures as references. British auction house Christie’s has called him “A visionary digital artist at the forefront of NFTs”. Beeple was introduced to NFTs in October 2020 and credits Pak for providing his first “primer” on selling NFTs. The NFT associated with Everydays: the First 5000 Days, a collage of images from his “Everydays” series, was sold on March 12, 2021, for $69 million in cryptocurrency to an investor in NFTs. It is the first purely non-fungible token to be sold by Christie’s. The auction house had previously sold Block 21, an NFT with accompanying physical painting for approximately $130,000 in October 2020.
About Kelly Breez
Kelly Breez (b. 1985, Lake Worth, FL) is a BFA graduate from the New World School of the Arts. She is a multi-disciplinary artist who lives and works in Miami. She weaves a sharp eye for subtle humor into her work, acting like a mirror to the absurdities of life. With an uncanny attention to detail and the likeness to a sponge, Breez naturally absorbs the nuances of the unpredictable tropical wasteland she calls home.
About The ReefLine
Founded by Ximena Caminos, the ReefLine is a 7-mile underwater public sculpture park, snorkel trail, and artificial reef which will provide a critical habitat for endangered reef organisms, promoting biodiversity, and enhancing coastal resilience. This series of artist-designed and scientist-informed artificial reefs will demonstrate to the world how tourism, artistic expression, and the creation of critical habitat can be aligned. The ReefLine is a singular investment in civic infrastructure, public art, and environmental protection that will pay dividends over the coming decades and attract ecologically minded tourists and art lovers. www.thereefline.org
About Liene Bosquê
Liene Bosquê is a visual artist and art educator based in Miami, born in Brazil. She is an MFA graduate from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as well as BFA graduate from the São Paulo State University. Bosquê’s installations, sculptures, and site-specific projects, as well as her socially engaged practice works, have been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and abroad; at MoMA PS1 in New York, Frost Art Museum in Miami, Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Museu de História in Lisbon, and Museu de Arte de Ribeirão Preto, among other institutions.
Please visit The City of Miami Beach’s Arts & Culture website to learn more about the 2023 edition of No Vacancy and the artists involved: www.mbartsandculture.org/no-vacancy/
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