We're in the dog days of summer, and on Second Saturdays, that means the arrival of the ubiquitous group exhibits that pay the rent during the slow, rainy season.
Every June, many local galleries shift away from solo shows showcasing their top stable ponies, toward offerings more like this Saturday's Belmont Stakes: packs of up-and-coming artists vying to command attention in crowded line-ups. It's a grand opportunity to get a pulse not only on the programming spirit driving these spaces but to survey the rising crop of talent aspiring to snag their own solo show in the future.
Starting at 6 p.m., this weekend's Second Saturday in Wynwood lets you discover hundreds of artists flying their colors in a wide open derby boasting everything from a pair of filly-centric pieces, to a handicap on the salons of the mid-19th century, and even a rare solo show riffing on how we spend more time in bed than racing for the winner's circle.
Here's the line on our favorites to cross the wire at this month's art trot through the district.
"Women's Perspectives"
If you're hankering for a photo finish
to get the blood racing, check out this strapping field of seven
international female artists whose works convey the reasons why the
medium of photography continues to challenge and enthrall viewers. Each conceived as a
series, the photo-based artworks on display vary from groupings that trace a cinematic narrative frame by frame, to
pairings exploring how notions of fragmentation can complete a grander
idea while illuminating issues of the feminine.
Dina Mitrani Gallery, 2620 NW Second Avenue, Miami. Call 786-486-7248 or visit dinamitranigallery.com.
"Salon de Notre Société"
The
Paris salons of the mid-19th century are more famous today for the
paintings that were rejected than for those that were actually shown. Ironically, the works that were frowned upon by organizers back
then form the canon of modern art history today. That's the spirit
behind the sprawling group exhibit spotlighting the painting,
photography, sculpture, and installation of more than 46 artists. Expect
to encounter close to 400 works stacked floor-to-ceiling at Primary
Projects, where "Salon" takes a sharp contemporary stab at the historical
"Salon des Refusés" of Paris.
Primary Projects, 4141 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite
104, Miami. Call 954-296-1675 or visit primaryprojectsspace.com.
"In & Out of Bed"
We
spend a third of our lives on our backs (or sides, or stomachs) sleeping. That's why New
York-based Leah Poller employs the bed in her work as a metaphor for
life's twists and turns, and to remind us of the power of dreaming. Check
out 25 of the ex-Miamian's reverie-inducing works from her "101Bed
Collection" that inspired the likes of Kurt Vonnegut to gush "Poller's
beds blow my mind!" and promises to knock you out of that slumber in
this atypical summer solo offering.
Lelia Mordoch Gallerie, 2300 North Miami Avenue, Miami. Admission is free. Call 786-431-1506 or visit galerieleliamordoch.com.
"Abstractions, Gestures of a Language"
It's
all about the broncos at Dot Fiftyone's boys-only summer group roundup,
boasting paintings, works on paper, video, and photography. Works on view
oscillate from Mauro Giaconi's splintered vision of a tornado cutting
through the tangled jumble of a modern metropolis to Hernan Cedola's
squalid scribbles inviting perceptions that some contemporary art
borders on child's play.
Dot Fiftyone Gallery, 51 NW 36th Street, Miami. Call 305-573-9994 or visit dotfiftyone.com.
"Group Show 04"
Though
it might not reflect much imagination in its title, this herd of talent
mustered at the Design District's 101/Exhibit boasts some of its
stable's top-drawer thoroughbreds, including Jason Shawn Alexander, Ted
Vasin, Charles Pfhal, and Chambliss Giobbi, among others. The gallery is
also looking to avoid a blanket finish by entering a bonus solo by Colin
Chillag during an opening in which visitors can expect plenty of the
gallery's trademark brawny figurative paintings including Chillag's raw
portraits.
101/Exhibit, 101 NE 40th St Miami. Call 305-573-6101 or visit 101exhibit.com.
"Leave it to Beavers"
You can search high and low all weekend -- maybe all season --
and not find a better name or premise for a summer exhibit. This
multimedia eye-opener presented by Art Blog Art Blog and curated by
artist Gina Beavers, bucks the tide with plenty of grrl power and
features a video by Miami's own Christy Gast and paintings and drawings
by Ella Kruglyanskaya, Katherine Bernhardt, Fabienne Lasserre, Carla
Edwards, and others. Expect a collection of works that
are "ground-breaking, diverse, intuitive, conceptual, mind-bending,
live-wire, insane, badass, hysterical, moving, horizon-expanding, free,
experimental, so smart, perfect," Beavers describes.
Gallery Diet, 174 NW
23rd St., Miami. Call 305-571-2288 or visit gallerydiet.com.
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