Inside Mitrani Warehouse in Wynwood, a Miami filmmaker has assembled a mixture of what is reality and what is representation. The Screening Room, Rhonda Mitrani's gallery-within-a-gallery, is a new space for video artists and filmmakers to exhibit their art.
The Screening Room opened May 16 with the video work exhibition of Venezuela-born artist and architect Carola Bravo, "We Are Where We Are Not."
The exhibition consists of two pieces: "Mapped Space" and "Linear Mapping."
"Bravo shoots herself creating drawing lines, and she really projects herself to scale. When you walk into the room, it looks like she is there mapping the design, and what is really great about the installation is that she uses the elements that are in the film and places them outside of the shot also to scale." Mitrani says, explaining the work of the Miami artist who's earned a Ph.D. in Architecture, a Master in Art Theory, and several awards, including one at the Florence Biennale. "It's almost three-dimensional and at the same time is cinematic and theatrical. Bravo wants to create the idea of what is reality and what is representation to create with the past and the future."
The intersection of film and art is a comfortable place for Mitrani, the sister of Mitrani Warehouse gallerist with extensive experience in film. Mitrani started her career at Miramax Films, working in the post production department in New York in the 1990's. Later, she evolved into an editor and assistant editor for independent films. Mitrani's work has been broadcast on Showtime, HBO, PBS, IFP Channel and Oxygen. In 2001 her career brought her to Miami to work for MTV Networks Latin America.
In 2002 Mitrani made her first documentary, Cuba Mia, an award winning documentary that premiered at the Miami International Film Festival and was later shown on PBS. After the documentary, Mitrani co-founded the Florida Room Documentary Film Festival and during that time she started making video art.
Mitrani said she decided to open The Screening Room because she saw there was a need in Miami for a space dedicated to experimental film and video art work.
"I wanted to make a video space. I work in film and video and I decided to create a space that relates to film and video." Mitrani said.
Mitrani will be showing in The Screening Room retrospective of well-known directors like Spaniard filmmaker, Luis Buñuel.
"I hope to continue to educate the public on video art and to create a space where filmmakers and video artists alike can exhibit and share their work." Mitrani said. "It's an alternative space to exhibit experimental film and video art."
"We Are Where We Are Not" runs through July 11 at The Screening Room, 2626 NW Second Ave., Miami. Email [email protected] or visit www.thescreeningroommiami.com.
-- Maria Merzeau
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