There's no need to line up for free booze at the Second Saturday Art Walk in Wynwood this weekend: The artworks alone will make you think you're seeing double or at least make you look twice.
From the sights and sounds of carnival to visions of goddesses, from brainy op and kinetic art to the grandeur of America's wilderness and Sarah Palin getting bitch-slapped, March's crawl delivers a sensory wallop on a bruising scale. If you saw the crowds at last month's art walk, read the latest on how gallerists hope to rein in the crazy this Saturday. Here are must-see exhibits for this month.
Carnival: The pomp and pageantry of Carnaval de Barranquilla takes center stage in "Carnival," an exhibit that rivals Second Saturday's growing street spectacle -- only you won't find stilt walkers, flame throwers, or curbside vendors selling T-shirts or arepas here. Instead it boasts painting, sculpture and installations by Colombian artists Carlos Vallejo and Alicia Torres. The gallery is also spooling a documentary shot 50 years ago celebrating the annual event that traces its roots back to the 19th century. Nina Torres Fine Art, 2033 NW First Pl., Miami. Visit ninatorresfineart.com.
Artbitch: Afterwards join the conga line shimmying over to the Calix Gustav Gallery for a walk on the wild side where "Artbitch" aspires to convey a notion of the rebellious attitude and suffering of artists today. Inspired by a song by Brazilian band CSS, artists in the group show include Spunk and The Orange Kittens, Charles Chace, Lazaro Amaral, Emil Alzamora, Jovan Karlo Villalbos, and Eric Torriente. In Don and Mera, Why Won't You Cum Across the Street, Spunk and The Orange Kittens craft a video dripping with desperation and despair riffing on the lengths artists are willing to go to be discovered by the Rubells. Calix Gustav Gallery, 98 NW 29th Street, Miami. Call 305-576-8116 or visit calixgustav.com
Cosmic She-ness: New York-based artist Diana McClure explores the relationship between spiritual agency and concepts of female divinity from across the globe in a show showcasing otherworldly Goddesses."Cosmic She-ness" features selections from the artist's recent body of work referencing Navajo myth and a Chaka Khan disco classic tune. The artist employs photography, small mixed media objects, and re-contextualized images in pieces such as a collage depicting a scantily clad and masked Grace Jones sprouting from a lotus flower superimposed over a fading and dog-eared map of ancient Mesopotamia. Edge Zones Art Center, 47 NE 25th Street, Miami. Call 3053-303-8852 or visit edgezones.org
Geometric Artists Collection: At the recently opened Ascaso Gallery, "Geometric Artists Collection" includes museum-quality works by three of Venezuela's internationally recognized masters of Kinetic and Op art, Victor Varela, Carlos Cruz Diez and Jesus Soto whose work is featured in museums and private collections worldwide. Cruz Diez's rhythmic system of patterns engages the viewer both physically and emotionally in perception-tweaking pieces that oscillate with an inherent electricity and vibrancy of complimentary matrixes of color. Ascaso Gallery, 2441 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami.
"Come Ply," a group show featuring a bumper crop of talent poised to graduate from the Design and Architecture High School or New World School of the Arts, corrals six young artists who focus searching eyes on sexuality, permanence, technology, privacy, tradition and convention. Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts, 2043 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami. Call 305-576-1804 or visit dlfinearts.com
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