Post - Hear Our City

Rendering of ‘MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self’ by Sebastian Errazuriz. Courtesy the artist and Faena Art.

• Faena Art to exhibit MAZE: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self, a large-scale installation by Sebastian Errazuriz on Faena Beach, and accompanying book exploring the implications of AI on society

• A major new sculpture by Errazuriz, Battle of the Corporate Nations, will also be unveiled at Faena Cathedral • Beeple to present S.122 sculpture in partnership with The Reefline at Faena Cathedral

• Local Miami artist Kelly Breez to present bar-inspired installation ‘Dirt’s Dive’ at the Faena Art Project Room, Faena Art's permanent space in Miami Beach for artistic innovation and community-oriented exploration

• Continue reading for the full press release and event details (also linked here)

(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 in Battle 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.

"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.

About Faena Art https://www.faenaart.org/

Faena Art Project Room 3420 Collins Ave Miami Beach, FL 33140

FAENA Art 2023 Miami Art Week

November 15, 2023