World renowned, master artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, has been recognized for his focus on ephemeral interventions in urban spaces through the use of color spectrums to create illusionary effects and new chromatic environments.
Recognized by Art Basel Miami, the City of Coral Gables is showcasing elements of Cruz-Diez works throughout Downtown Coral Gables, including City Hall. Thirteen banners are hung between each of the columns in front of City Hall, and eight crosswalks are painted with original designs specifically done for this project.
The pedestrian walkways are being used as an arrowhead to guide the public through the streets of the city leading up to the Coral Gables Museum, where photographs of the artist’s installations are displayed. The outdoor chromatic environments are on view through the end of January, 2018.
Following the successful 2016 collaboration with Art Basel, Coral Gables Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli sought out master artist Carlos Cruz-Diez for a public exhibition of his work.
With the strong support of the city’s Arts Advisory Panel and the Cultural Development Board, the crosswalk installation and banners were installed prior to Thanksgiving.
“Building on our recently established relationship with Art Basel, we are excited to bring the public exhibition Celebrating Carlos Cruz-Diez to the City of Coral Gables,” Mayor Valdés-Fauli said. “In association with Art Basel and Miami Art Week, he is expected to transform the city by radically changing one’s everyday experience.”
Established as one of the key 20th Century thinkers in the realm of color, Cruz-Diez is described as a major protagonist in the field of kinetic and optical art. With a focus on movements that encourage “an awareness of the instability of reality,” his work presents color as an autonomous reality that evolves in space and time.
By dressing the second and third floor of City Hall with an installation of various banners, the artist will bring a vibrant look to the city.
Each banner will adhere to the Corinthian columns without causing any detrimental effects to the coral surface of the building. With vibrantly painted pedestrian walkways strategically placed in several cities and states around the world, Cruz-Diez’s main objective is to profoundly change the experience of each passerby through chromatic inductions.
Once inside the Coral Gables Museum, the photographic images displayed are references of what the artist has been doing in different cities throughout the world for several years.
The Celebrating Carlos Cruz-Diez exhibition is being produced in collaboration with Ninoska Huerta, Logistics Fine Arts, and with the generous support of Atelier Cruz-Diez.
Funding for the temporary exhibition is made possible through private sources and through the Coral Gables Art in Public Place program.
Sponsors for the exhibition include Gunster, The Allen Morris Company, Codina Partners LLC, EWM Realty International, Mercantil Bank, MG Developer, Related Group, Regis H.R. Group, and Florida East Coast Realty
A Gallery Talk on “Carlos Cruz-Diez” with Dr. Carol Damian is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, 5 p.m., at the Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Ave.
