Public Art Installation Celebrates American Diversity in Wynwood

Quietly over the past few months, a sky-high art installation has been under assembly in Wynwood, and now it's ready to be unveiled. Hamanae by Bazbaz, a photographic art installation; and MKT by Bazbaz, a socially conscious marketplace featuring select local vendors, entrepreneurs, and artisans, will debut this Saturday, February 18, in Wynwood, and run through the weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Humanae consists of 794 diverse "faces" presented on a 25-by-310-foot banner. The piece is a mosaic showing people of diverse shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and sexes, with random spaces purposely left vacant so that guests can place themselves inside the art and contemplate what it means to be a part of humanity.
The Humanae project is the offspring of a collaboration between art production company By Bazbaz and Brazilian artist and photographer Angelica Dass. The pair created a mashup of installations and ideas that together form what guests will be welcomed to see free of charge in Wynwood this weekend. The project is made up of some 4,000 subjects Dass photographed in 17 countries and from all walks of life.

According to Sonny Bazbaz, cofounder of By Bazbaz, the project has a very clear goal and meaning to its creators.

“Our collaboration with creative partners like Angelica Dass to engage the important social issues of our time is crucial to By Bazbaz,” he says. "As humans, we need to reject the negative influences around us and rise above. We need to be rooted in compassion, establish genuine connections with each other, and spend our time thinking positively. We want to support a message of unity and encourage a socially responsible lifestyle.”

The Humanae installation is meant to be a slap-in-the-face reminder of what makes America already incredibly great: diversity and respect for one another. This weekend, they hope their artwork provides a reminder to those who might have forgotten that simple fact.

"We’d like people to take away a fresh and positive narrative on the subject of race, from all perspectives, and celebrate a message of oneness. We want people to be struck by the beauty of difference and the sophistication of cultural diversity," By Bazbaz cofounder Albert Price tells New Times. "We want people to embrace the opportunity to expand consciousness through the understanding of different people and different cultures. We think that introspection and appreciation breeds empathy and respect. Empathy and respect in turn breeds love. When people love, they are happy. It is this kind of connection that we want human beings to feel for each other — unconditionally."
No matter which presidential candidate got your vote in November, it's clear the result of the election has torn the United States apart, at least in the immediate present. Donald Trump won the election (306 electoral votes, if you haven't heard) largely based on a promise to "make America great again," which in part meant kicking out diverse undocumented guests. By Bazbaz isn't buying the fact that America needed some sort of makeover.

"We actually think the whole narrative is largely anachronistic. It’s a narrative made for and by politicians, the media, celebrities, and Wall Street to get votes, grab eyeballs, and make more money off people who have already been exploited enough," Price says. "It's not just in America; it's all over the world, and it really has to stop because it is killing people, destroying lives, and traumatizing culture."

Luckily, Miami is one of the best places to showcase an art exhibition such as Humanae. With art come eyeballs, and with eyeballs comes absorption of information that makes people think. Bazbaz says starting a conversation about diversity and accepting others is the first step, and that's a step they hope to take this weekend in Wynwood.

"Humanae is both important and perfect for Miami," Bazbaz says. "When you include South Americans, Central Americans, and Caribbeans into the mix, along with Europeans, Americans, Native Americans, Africans, Indians, and Asians, you get a vibrant cultural mosaic that is unique in the world.

"Miami has great wealth and sophistication, but it is also a city of health and spirituality. It’s the right place to set the right vibe, and others will follow."

Humanae and MKT by Bazbaz
Saturday, February 18; Sunday, February 19; and select weekends through May at 2100 N. Miami Ave., Miami. Admission is free. Visit bybazbaz.com.