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I hope you are taking care! As we move into April, I wanted to make sure that you keep the going-ons at MOCA North Miami on your radar. From the early days of Manuel Mathieu’s solo presentation to a reintroduction of MOCA’s permanent collection, alongside musical and film events for the entire community to enjoy, it’s been a busy and exciting season at the museum!
Freshly opened to the public, Haitian-born artist Manuel Mathieu debuted his first major, solo presentation, World Discovered Under Other Skies and Dwelling on the Invisible, at MOCA last week. The presentation brings together new works alongside his signature visual oeuvre in a compelling examination of the long-lasting repercussions of the Haitian Revolution and the country’s quest for self-determination. On view through October, the paired exhibitions are a riveting demonstration of the interplay between an artist’s chronicles of his audience, and their own histories.
Alongside Mathieu’s presentation, the museum also invites a reinterpretation of iconic pieces from its permanent collection. In a new group show, titled Collection Focus: Light Play, MOCA curator Adeze Wilford brings together 9 contemporary artists—Petah Coyne, John Espinosa, R.M. Fischer, Nancy Haynes, Julian La Verdiere, Dennis Oppenheim, Joan Robey, Sarah Seager, and Jo Nigoghossian—in a joint presentation bringing light to the darkened entrance rooms of the museum, and reflecting on the past and present relevance of the museum’s legacy.
Left: Yanira Collado: For those who transcend in the wind/En los Ritmos de Oya/Nan ritm yo Oya. Right: Alexandra Fields O’Neale:Bound//Unbound.
Bringing art works off the walls and outside, the museum is also hosting its annual Art on the Plaza and Welcome to Paradise series. These public installations can be seen on MOCA’s front plaza and in the outdoor courtyard, currently featuring works by local artists Yanira Collado and Alexandra Fields O’Neale. Both distinctive works invite the community on a journey through Miami’s rich history with the African Diaspora through symbolic, interactive monuments that represent joy, protection, migration, spirituality, and the cycles of life.
