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
TeamLab