Everyone knows the winter holiday is the perfect time to treat your eyes to new artistic interpretations. As festive feelings abound, the animated city of Miami offers four sparkling art galleries worthy of a visit. With Miami Art Week coming to a close in just a couple of days, you’re bound to enjoy at least one of these four must-see exhibits. From the otherworldly illusions of Lita Albuquerque and D.O.P.A to the transcendent tropical portrayals of Ayiti Toma III, there’s much to consider this December.
Ayiti Toma III: Spiraling, Silence, & Sirenes
Ayiti Toma III is the second of its kind, following Ayiti Toma II. Interestingly enough, the first edition of this piece never existed. The painting displays bright bodies and greenery with a light apparitional presentation. Organized by Tomm El-Saieh for the Miami Beach-bound art gallery CENTRAL FINE, the nonexistence of Ayiti Toma I aims to represent the erasure of Taíno culture stemming from the Caribbean islands. The painting’s title additionally serves as an acknowledgment of the many beliefs surrounding Haiti’s origin. The ghostly green art piece will sit in Miami’s CENTRAL FINE Gallery alongside a showing at the Luhring Augustine Gallery in New York. Highlighting the resilient realities of Haitian artistic expression, this depiction is a must-see for Floridian-born art enthusiasts. This show will be available through January 14, 2025, for all those intrigued.
Camilo Godoy: Neither one nor the other, but a wound
Finding itself a temporary home in Miami’s Dot Fiftyone art gallery, Camilo Godoy’s work showcases two dancers in shades of sepia. The artistic performance comes in a video display, originally hailing from the New Museum in New York, where Godoy carried out his residency over the last year. The image is a still from the Colombian-born artist’s Renacemos a cada instante (We are reborn at every moment). Taking the exhibit name from a poem on colonialism, the orange-tinged footage features choreographed dances with funerary influence. Overall, the showcase symbolizes healing and mourning across multiple mediums fueled by movement. If you’re interested in artistic archival expressions of Godoy, this exhibit will be open until January 31, 2025.
Cosmic Currents: Lita Albuquerque & D.O.P.A.
Placed at GALVAK in West Palm Beach, Cosmic Currents assists the art gallery as it debuted at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair this year. GALVAK spotlights land artist Lita Albuquerque as she partners with the gallery’s roster artist Jose Alvarez (also known as D.O.P.A.). Utilizing light with material and metaphysical elements, the piece explores cosmology, spirituality, and nature’s presence. Alongside her collaborative efforts with the Venezuelan-raised D.O.P.A., the exhibit highlights recent installments from Albuquerque’s well-regarded Auric Fields series. The exhibition aims to extend a boundless encounter between two artistically spiritual authorities. For those interested in visiting this cosmic collaboration, the showing runs through January 4, 2025.
Estefenia Puerta: The Ghost in the Hallway
The Nina Johnson Gallery in Miami is a foundational center for the city’s contemporary art community. Naturally, an Estefenia Puerta show is only fitting for Miami Art Week. Titled The Ghost in the Hallway, Puerta shares stunning pieces reflective of her time spent at the American Academy in Rome. One particular installment, displaying three wall pieces with silver petals and outstretched flowers, attracts the attention of enthusiastic visitors. Although Puerta pulls from the darker events in Roman history, her artistic expression maintains a level of vitality, truly highlighting the unconventional approach the creative crafter often takes within her works. Visitors can check out this exhibition until January 4, 2025.
Visit a Gallery Today Before Miami Art Week’s End
To many, Miami serves as a mecca for artistic authenticity and modernity. As the holiday season continues, the selections shared above represent only a small portion of the creativity available throughout the city. With 2024 coming to a close, finish your year with these inspirational installments to inform and influence your 2025 resolutions.