Here's Your Guide to Miami Art Openings in November 2024

Somehow, until this weekend, I had never made it to Superblue, the massive warehouse full of "immersive art" in Allapattah. Maybe it was the exorbitant ticket prices or the limited amount of exhibits — only three artists were on view when the space opened in 2021. I stopped by the opening for its latest exhibit on Sunday, and I wasn't impressed.

The new work, a laser-light installation by Studio Lemercier projecting light upon a wall of mist to make wavy patterns, felt like a glorified, pointless tech demo, but the rest of the space felt just as uninspired. Most of the exhibits felt like glorified carnival funhouse attractions, from the playroom full of greasy foam constructed by Japanese digital art charlatans teamLab to "Forest of Us," the flashy hall of mirrors by Es Devlin that opens with a ridiculously corporate video introduction.

I do want to go back to see the James Turrell installation, which was closed during my visit, but ultimately, Superblue feels more interested in stimulating the senses rather than the intellect.
I had a much more interesting immersive art experience watching José Parlá paint at the Pérez Art Museum Miami. The Miami-raised, Brooklyn-based artist is getting ready for a major show of new work at the PAMM, and he and the museum turned one of the galleries into a mini re-creation of his studio. Parlá blasted Cuban musical classics on a turntable as he acrobatically finished a massive canvas depicting Florida and Cuba in a stormy, primordial Caribbean Sea for a public audience. Watching him jump off ladders to complete strokes was entertaining, but it also felt like a secret was being shared with the viewer. How often do you get to watch an artist at work in their inner sanctum?

One more local artist also succeeded in inviting the viewer into their unique conception of Florida and its future. Lee Pivnik's show "Chimeras" at Dale Zine is both a marvelous work of speculative fiction and a fascinating experience in terms of its materials. In illustrating his far-future Miami, in which a queer rebellion that has taken refuge in the flooded city wears animal costumes to evade facial-recognition tech used by a repressive regime, Pivnik has created an outstanding photo and sculpture series incorporating locally sourced goods and mind-blowing fabrication processes. Some images are printed on a backing made from seashells, and the gator and sawtooth shark masks use similar materials scavenged by the artist. The whole thing reminded me of Drexciya, another sci-fi art project wherein resistance to oppression is found in ecology. See the show while you can; it closes on November 24.

While you're at it, check out these shows opening in the lead-up to Miami Art Week. Most will go on view to the public this month before official openings during Art Week.

All presentations are listed in the order they opened. Unless otherwise noted, all listed events are free to attend and open to the public.

Kateryna Lysovenko at Voloshyn Gallery

Currently on view at Voloshyn Gallery in Allapattah is a show of paintings by Ukrainian artist Kateryna Lysovenko. In "The Sea Doesn't Forget It's Free," the painter explores the dehumanizing nature of mythology through eerie figurative paintings that feel both fantastical and disturbing. On view through Thursday, November 28, at Voloshyn Gallery, 802 NW 22nd St., Miami; 786-461-5800; voloshyngallery.art.

Andrea Chung and Smita Sen at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami

Two female-identifying artists are taking the spotlight at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami. "Andrea Chung: Between Too Late and Too Early" focuses on the artist's interrogations of slavery and its reverberations. She uses sugar, the cash crop harvested on Caribbean plantations, as a material to create her work. Meanwhile, local artist Smita Sen's show "Embodied" focuses on her dance-based practice. On view through April 6, 2025, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami; 305-893-6211; mocanomi.org. Tickets cost $5 to $10; free admission for North Miami residents and children under 12.

"Mirror of the Mind" at El Espacio 23

After last year's excellent presentation of fabric abstraction, El Espacio 23's new show focuses on figuration. Across six themes and a variety of mediums, the show explores the inseparable relationship between the mind and the body with works by Shirin Neshat, Carrie Mae Weems, Jared McGriff, Anselm Kiefer, Antoni Tàpies, Reginald O'Neal, and others. Opens Thursday, November 7, at El Espacio 23, 2270 NW 3rd St., Miami; 786-490-9090; elespacio23.com.

Mariana Ferrari at Tomas Redrado Gallery

Ahead of its appearance at NADA Miami in December, Tomas Redrado Gallery will present a show of large-scale paintings from Argentinian artist Mariana Ferrari. Her abstract, gestural paintings are meant to comment on Latin American people. Opens Saturday, November 9, at Tomas Redrado Gallery, 224 NW 71st St., Miami; 561-765-0695; tomasredrado.com.

New Shows at the Margulies Collection

The other private-collection rehang happens this month at the Margulies Warehouse in Wynwood. Alongside a show of Spanish and Portuguese photography from the 20th Century, it will exhibit historical modernist and pop-art works from Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Cy Twombly, and others; conceptual and installation art from Matthew McCaslin, Iván Navarro, Do Ho Suh, and others; and photography from Jason Schmidt and Alec Soth. Opens Wednesday, November 13, at the Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, 591 NW 27th St., Miami; 305-576-1051; margulieswarehouse.com. Tickets cost $5 to $10 for adults; free admission for Florida students with ID.

José Parlá at Pérez Art Museum Miami

Miami-raised José Parlá is the subject of the highest-profile show of the season at PAMM. "Homecoming" consists of paintings the artist made after a bout with COVID nearly ended his life. As such, the show is more than a homecoming to Miami; it's also a commemoration of his return to creativity. Elements of collage and the artist's interest in "writing," cultivated during his time as a street artist, will be on view in a collection of new abstract paintings. PAMM will also debut a new mural by Black British artist Hurvin Anderson and a show featuring portraits by actress turned artist Kate Capshaw on November 21. Opens Thursday, November 14, at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Tickets cost $14 to $18; free admission for children 6 and under.

Estefania Puerta at Nina Johnson

Nina Johnson will show conceptual ceramic work from Colombian artist Estefania Puerta this month. "The Ghost in the Hallway" features artwork inspired by the artist's time in Rome, in which she encountered vessels such as sarcophagi, and her work attempts to explore the physical and metaphorical meanings of the word "carrier." Opens Friday, November 15, at Nina Johnson Gallery, 6315 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-571-2288; ninajohnson.com.

Natalia Chavarria and Filio Galvez at Baker—Hall

Local artist Natalia Chavarria will show a collection of mysterious paintings at Baker—Hall Gallery in Little River. "Cuando Caigo del Cielo" is the Mexico City-born artist's attempt to delve into nature as an inspiration for myths. The gallery will also present work from Filio Galvez. Opens Saturday, November 16 at Baker—Hall Gallery, 101 NW 79th St., Miami; 914-787-9270; bakerhall.art.

Jacqueline de Jong, Rose B. Simpson & Vanessa German, and Cici McMonigle at NSU Art Museum

Three new shows join NSU Art Museum's Joel Meyerowitz retrospective for a strong winter season in Fort Lauderdale. "Vicious Circles" is the first American museum show focusing on Jacqueline de Jong, a Dutch artist famous for her work with the Situationist International whose paintings riff on Cold War themes such as the Space Race. "It Includes Everyone, Everywhere, Always" is a joint presentation between Simpson, a Tewa Pueblo ceramicist from New Mexico, and German, a queer assemblage artist living in Asheville, North Carolina. Finally, South Florida-based artist Cici McMonigle will give her first show in "Creatures from the Divine," with works that examine her Chinese and American heritage. Opens Sunday, November 17, at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, 954-525-5500; nsuartmuseum.org. Tickets cost $5 to $16; free admission for NSU students, faculty, and staff, Broward College students, and children 12 and under.

Keiichi Tanami and Ruben Valentim at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami

ICA Miami will open its first two shows of the winter season this month, showcasing two very different artists. "Keiichi Tanaami: Memory Collage" is the first U.S. museum retrospective of the influential icon of the Japanese artist known for his crazy collages. "Crossroads: Rubem Valentim's '60s," meanwhile, will delve into the Afro-Brazilian painter's geometric abstractions. Opens Thursday, November 21, at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, 61 NE 41st St., Miami; 305-901-5272; icamiami.org. Admission is free.

New Work at Wynwood Walls

Wynwood Walls is preparing to debut a new collection of murals under the theme "Street Art Icons." Works from Askew One, Sophie Mess, and other street artists will debut this month, along with a new installation by Simon Berger. The exhibition will commence with an opening ceremony on November 22, with artist meet and greets, DJ sets, film screenings, and other events planned in the lead-up to Art Week. Opens Friday, November 22, at Wynwood Walls, 2516 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-576-3334; thewynwoodwalls.com. Tickets cost $5 to $12.

Alexandre Arrechea and Alba Triana at Locust Projects

Following a show of paintings at LnS Gallery, former Los Carpinteros member Alexandre Arrechea will show a new full-room, immersive installation at Locust Projects. "Bare Tool" explores the ripple effects of small actions through an environment that incorporates video projection, suspended sculptures, and moveable elements. In the art space's project room, Miami-based Alba Triana will display a multisensory installation incorporating magnetic spheres to explore the unseen forces that govern our world. Opens Saturday, November 23, at Locust Projects, 297 NE 67th St., Miami; 305-576-8570; locustprojects.org. Admission is free.