Tomorrowland
TOMORROWLAND was opened with a modest grant from the Omni CRA. The building had lain vacant for decades and was recently being used as storage. The gallery was open for less than a year, showcasing exhibitions by Daniel Newman, Tom Scicluna, Bhakti Baxter, Lina Hargrett and Shelter Serra.
The gallery served as a catalyst for this blighted yet historic location creating a discourse involving art, design and urbanism.
DANIEL NEWMAN
Puente Hills / Texas Flickers
2011
Daniel Newman responded to the site of the gallery, a historic gas station, as he stated “I exhibited an aged work titled TEXAS FLICKERS which I filmed on my first solo cross-country road trip during the Spring of 2003. As I drove through the post-Apocalyptic oil fields of Eastern Texas there was a strong electrical storm at play. The prompt I gave myself was to capture every car driving by or any lightning strike I witnessed. I edited the piece around the doppler sounds of passing vehicles and the visual flashes of lightning strikes. The video feels like it is inhaling and exhaling.”
The second work, titled PUENTE HILLS, was filmed in the parking lot of Puente Hills Shopping Mall, in the exact location where Back to The Future had once been filmed. There are precisely sixty-one-second cuts in the film, creating a one-minute loop. The piece is scored by Markus Popp (Oval). Puente Hills is a dead mall now.
TOM SCICLUNA
“untitled”
2007-ONGOING
“Untitled” is an ongoing work that consists of a countdown timer set to the conclusion of its own display within a given exhibition. The oversized clock was presented as a solo exhibition in conjunction with Tomorrowland’s 2011 program. The following is a curatorial statement by George Sanchez-Calderon that frames the installation of the work at Tomorrowland in relation to the conclusion of Daylight Saving Time and the return to Standard Time:
“Two hours and one minute will be the length of the solo exhibition titled “Untitled” by Tom Scicluna. Featuring an LED countdown timer that will coincide with the controversial yet commonly accepted transition of Daylight-Saving Time (DST) to Standard Time, which will occur on November 6th at 2:00 AM. On November 1, 1884, the International Meridian Conference in Washington, D.C., applied time zones all around the world. The 24 standard meridians, every 15 minutes east and west of 0 degrees at Greenwich, England, were designated the centers of the zones. Less than half of the globe recognizes DST.”
BHAKI BHAXTER
Darcy’s Law
Darcy’s Law describes how a liquid disperses throughout a porous environment. The natural analogues are plenty: visualizations resemble everything from floodplains to capillaries to migration patterns. One could also talk about it in cultural terms, just replace water with cultural impetus, and sandy terrain with the equally shifting landscape of Miami. Late at night on Sunday October 23rd, the crowd was spilling out onto the sidewalk outside Tomorowland, the project space run by artist George Sanchez-Calderon. With characteristic nonchalance, Bhakti Baxter had kept details of his performance Darcy’s Law to a minimum. The back wall was illuminated by a projection of water and pennies on a plastic sheet. (Excerpted text by Hunter Braithwaite for the Miami Rail.)
LINA HARGRETT
The Auction Project
The Auction Project is a published catalog dedicated to showcasing individual artworks by young and emerging artists. It is produced in a traditional auction catalog format, documenting the artworks and artists with concise essays and providing market values. However, the catalog itself serves as the platform for appreciating and purchasing the artwork, as there is no actual auction. The name 'The Auction Project' refers solely to the format of the publication, not the method of sale. The catalog's essays and images allow art enthusiasts and potential buyers to learn about the artists and the context of the artworks in a familiar yet unique setting. As a Miami native, Hargrett recognized a significant disconnect between contemporary art and the general public interested in purchasing art. In response, she developed the auction catalog concept of The Auction Project. Its goal is to promote artists both commercially and educationally. Auction catalogs are essential tools for documenting artworks and the market, making them the perfect format for introducing emerging artists.
WYNWOOD ART FAIR
The Wynwood Art Fair served as a vehicle to focus on local artist and raise funds for Lotus House, a woman’s shelter in Overtown. Lotus House has helped thousands of women with a focus on single mothers and the “art fair” was done in collaboration with the Martiz Z. Margulies collection. Lina Hargrett represented the work of Shelter Serra & George Sánchez-Calderón on behalf of TOMORROWLAND.
SOCIAL PICTURES & CONTEXT OPENINGS
TOMORROWLAND
When Tomorrowland opened the majority of the activity in the neighborhood was south of I-395, near Corner Bar, Club Space & Gold Rush (prior to E11EVEN). My art studio was two blocks away from Tomorrowland. Thank you to my friends, colleagues and neighbors who attended and supported our efforts in the neighborhood that has is now unrecognizable.
PRESS
Floor Plans
