It’s wonderful watching people standing in front of art. One group will sludge away muttering, and another group will replace them. The art mutely laughs, screams, cries, accuses, adores, testifies. Mostly under their breath, you’ll hear, ‘I like it’, ‘I can’t stand it’, ‘I don’t get it’, ‘This is amazing’, and the hush tones often mock the loud mutedness of the piece of art, like a wax figure who, despite not having the ability, is too proud or humble to argue back. This familiar scene didn’t seem to be found at the Wynwood Art Fair 2011, because its mission statement came to life everywhere: The creation of art here is a collective effort in which everyone participates. And the result was totally exciting.
Large and small pieces were auctioned off at great benefit to the shelter, and high-end galleries like Dorsch, Steinbaum, and Hadley Martin Fisher’s personal collection curated by Kim Marrero joined the fair’s found object-rooted majority to unite the Miami art community in a very special, seamless way. Although not every piece was intended to relate to the cause, every piece at the festival seemed to have been created out of strong awareness. Constance and the shelter’s interactive Kaprow-inspired collective experience gave Miami’s art scene a new reason to come together, and the result was that every piece there seemed to be just a part of a whole. Constance mentioned to ArtMiami.tv that she felt the fair was a contemporary one, and she was right. “Contemporary art has so many dimensions, but the performance aspect is what the fair focuses on, to invite artists to create interactive art. Art to live with, laugh with, and love. Art is an illogical pursuit with a purpose. It connects us. Through those connections here we have an opportunity to solve issues of homelessness in our community.” One thing that is homeless in Miami no longer is a collective art venue we’re all Miami artists and artists abroad can drop their ranks, unify, and create together.
By Jason Kesser
{ 0 comments… add one now }