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Immersed in
Words by Jenny Starr Perez. Photography by Maria Galli.
Superblue Miami transcends the typical art museum experience with its mirrored labyrinths and enveloping light-based installations by world-renowned artists.
TeamLab
“Keep an eye out for the new art.” General knowledge dictates that proof of the inevitable evolution of a neighborhood often comes through the introduction of street murals, as well as art galleries and museums replete with colorful masterpieces by a variety of artists and styles. Allapattah is no exception. Along with the Rubell Museum and spaces like Mindy Solomon gallery, Superblue Miami, with its digital light installations and sculptural, mirrored mazes by internationally-acclaimed art world heavyweights like Es Devlin, teamLab and James Turrell, left no doubt about the future of the historically diverse and rapidly up-and-coming arts neighborhood with its opening in 2021. “Our founders, Marc Glimcher and Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst are executives of Pace Gallery,” said Superblue Miami Executive Director Shantelle Rodriguez, “Over the past 10 or 11 years, they saw an increase of artists that were prioritizing audience interaction as the center of their work, as opposed to the traditional visual-only experience. They felt they had to build a commercial model to support those artists. Enter Superblue.”
Supporting the voices and visions of contemporary artists to bring to life their artistic creations, Superblue curates immersive experiences that catalyze shared human connection and engagement that fascinates, changes, and enlightens audiences. Beginning with its inaugural show, Superblue offered visitors an unparalleled opportunity to be transported to an array of new worlds in a single visit.
“There are three things that really set us apart,” Rodriguez says, “The first is the actual programming we present in the experienced-based centers, the first of several planned spaces being in Miami. Second, we share ticket revenue with the rtist, which keeps them developing in their art. We also offer a ton of support. These artists may have ideas but don’t know always know how to execute them. Superblue offers a team that can bring those projects to life.”
She continues, “Thirdly, the large-scale spaces for the artist. The Miami center is 50,000 square feet. We allow these visionaries the space they need to break boundaries and present something that has never been seen before.” One of the most exciting additions to the arts and entertainment ecosystem of Miami, Superblue Miami has continued to showcase world-class art of spectacular proportions. The center and BMW I recently partnered to present Pulse Topology, an immersive artwork by renowned Mexican Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer which made its debut on November 17, 2022 and will run through August 2023. “This marks the second artist installation supported by our suspension program, which previously presented Meadows by DRIFT,” Rodriguez said. As spectacular as it is meaningful, Pulse Topology is an immersive biometric artwork consisting of 3,000 suspended light bulbs, each of which glimmers to the heartbeat of different participants. As visitors traverse a series of crests and valleys of pulsing lights at Superblue, sensors detect and record new heartbeats, which replace the oldest ones, creating a memento mori in which the trace of individual heartbeats gains poetic strength as a powerful choir of human connection.
James Turrell
“It’s something Rafael has explored for many years: the idea of heart and pulses interacting and how to make that into a physical, interactive piece. There are special sensors that visitors put their hand under and they capture their pulse. It’s a beautiful symphony of flickering light pushed along by human life force.”
Continuing with their ethos of discovering new, exciting ways to interact with the public through exhibits, Superblue announced the Miami Art Week 2022 premiere of Aerobanquets RMX, an innovative mixed-reality art and culinary experience that engages all of the senses. First created in 2018 by artist Matteo Casalegno, the experience welcomed groups of up to 16 guests into a space designed by Casalegno that evoked a dining room set in the future. Donning Meta Quest 2 VR headsets, ticketed guests embarked on a journey narrated by top chef Gail Simmons that brought both art and food into a new dimension and included a specially created menu of amuse-bouches by Michelin-starred, James Beard Award-winning chef Chintan Pandya from New York’s top restaurants Semma, Dhamaka, and Adda. The exhibit delighted guests with flavors and textures rendered in virtual scenes and launched about a thousand Instagram-worthy moments.
That immersive element is at the heart of the Superblue brand, as Rodriguez explains. “When you are creating something that is accessible and relatable in the way our immersive art is, that creates a situation where many different people, regardless of age group, education or socioeconomic backgrounds, find the exhibits engaging and inspiring. That is the whole point of Superblue. We reach beyond the typical industry players and engage a new generation of art lovers.”
Creating roots within the Allapattah community has also been something to which Superblue has invested time and resources. “What was exciting about coming to Allapattah was digging into the organizations that had been putting in the work here for so long,” said Rodriguez. “We aim to drive the young community, who are the creators of tomorrow, through collaborations with these organizations. One partnership is with Esquina de Abuela, which works directly with the neighborhood to offer workshops and classes. They bring groups over to Superblue, and we provide access to the space and give them tours.” The center has also built a friendship with the team at The Motivational Edge, a youth development organization that leverages culturally relevant arts and other platforms to engage, educate and empower young lives, as well as Rainbow Oasis. “That is an artist in residency program, one of the first of these programs available specifically to local artists in Allapattah. There is such a crisis right now in terms of artists finding spaces. Rainbow Oasis, which launched in 2022, was initiated because of that need. They are going to be housing and supporting a new artist every two months starting in January.”
Up next for Superblue is more collaborations with such local talent, according to Rodriguez. “Our team is already talking to local artists about upcoming programming or activations that we can do together. Multi-dimensional artist Haiiileen is one of them. We are also bringing in local artists to head up workshops and pop-up exhibitions. It’s a great way to continue evolving an environment where guests step into an unforgettable, awe-inspiring, and immersive world.
www.superblue.com/Miami/
TeamLab