As city architecture goes, Miami's pretty diverse, with buildings ranging from South Beach's Art Deco hotels to '80s-style, neon-lit buildings to Zaha Hadid's upcoming condo tower with an exoskeleton.
But we're pretty sure that Kolkoz's "Curiosity" installation, set to rise at the Miami Marine Stadium during Art Basel this year, will mark the first appearance of a Swiss chalet in the 305.
See also: Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 Fairs Guide
Kolkoz, the art duo of Benjamin Moreau and Samuel Boutruche that turned the sands of South Beach into a lunar-styled soccer field during Art Basel last year, is returning to Miami's mega culture bash next month with a new, equally wacky project: Erecting a chalet-style home, complete with snow, on a floating platform in the waters off the Miami Marine Stadium site.
So what's the reasoning behind the project? Kolkoz explains, in artspeak:
"Curiosity" was the name that was given to the last Mars Exploration Rover. We have taken this idea of an invader exploring a foreign land and applied it to the snow covered chalet that has set off on a journey and arrived in the middle of a maritime stadium in the hot Florida sun.
THE SWISS ARE INVADING. Somebody save us from their delicious chocolate and expertly crafted timepieces.
We are interested in looking at the chalet in its most essential form and seeing this form as a hut, or as a symbol of the beginnings of the American colonial habitat. If we look at the chalet as a representation of American colonial architecture, the artwork provides a stark contrast to the golden era of leisure in the 1970s and the elegant marine stadium of Hilario Candela.
Wait, so a traditional Swiss chalet is meant to represent American colonial homes? What happened to the great Swiss-American war?
As the symbolic representation of the past, and as a bold and curious foreign explorer of the Miami landscape, the chalet has met upon the once grand stadium. There is a moment for reflection and they seem to be saying to each other 'Look at what I've become'.
Seems like the chalet has become, uh, still a chalet. (And a piece of art.) The Miami Marine Stadium, on the other hand, may be disused for now, but in recent months it has become a widely supported restoration project with seemingly limitless potential, depending on who's leading the charge: a performance venue with a floating stage, a boat-in movie theater, you name it.
See also: Miami Marine Stadium Restoration Plans Approved
"Curiosity" is sponsored by Audemars Piguet, a "haute horology brand" (translation: they make watches) that'll be hosting events at the marine stadium during Art Basel. It's unclear if regular folk will be admitted into the stadium to see the work, or if Kolkoz' latest Basel effort is just for honchos of Big Wristwatch.
Follow Ciara LaVelle on Twitter @ciaralavelle.
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