No Place Like Home

Beatriz Monteavaro’s enigmatic work isn’t exactly primitive. The Miami artist’s early inspirations stemmed from modern sources such as horror movies, 1980s British subcultures, and America’s fading theme parks. But the results were often nightmarish and appeared as if spawned by the aftermath of a civilization-ending event that transported humanity back to the dawn of history when the likes of Adam Ant, Siouxsie Sioux, Malcolm McClaren, and others were reborn as zombies. Recently, Monteavaro has been exploring the self-swallowing serpent from ancient myth and recycling her earlier works into rough-hewn collages and structures to present hypothetical functions for artworks in a potentially postapocalyptic world. Her haunting creations are on view in “Ouroboros,” marking Monteavaro’s debut at the Emerson Dorsch Gallery (151 NW 24th St., Miami), where she will also present a series of drawings reminiscent of punk flyers, along with a working, interactive kick drum modified into a dark, snake-like sculpture. It all begins at 6 p.m. this Saturday during Second Saturday Art Walk. In addition, the gallery will show Saya Woolfalk’s “Chimera,” in which the New York-based artist presents her vision of a futuristic utopia called No Place, where a group called Empathics attempts to channel its blissful environment to the present day to uplift our sagging spirits. On display will be Woolfalk’s new videos depicting a figure transitioning into the status of “Empathic,” photographs from the video production, and “hide drawings,” plus some nifty sculptural skulls representing artifacts of the No Place culture.
Sat., Jan. 11, 5 p.m., 2014