Bert Rodriguez at Bal Harbour Art Nights

Conceptual and Performance Art at Bal Harbour Shops

There is something unique happening at Bal Harbour. Each month Bal Harbour and Art Nexus present their fun and innovative Art Nights that feature a creative assemblage of talent set in the chic surroundings of the Bal Harbour Shops.

Amidst the likes of Valentino, Gucci, Saks and Neiman’s are Botero sculptures, art and design lectures, the symphony, the Wolfsonian, the Frost; and that visual synergy created by top brands, local galleries and museums provides a unique platform to the remarkable artists and thought leaders that have fueled the evolution of the arts in South Florida.

Wednesday, February 16th is Bal Harbour’s next art walk and it promises to be another innovative evening. Adding to the fine repertoire of talent that has already contributed is the acclaimed conceptual artist, Bert Rodriguez, who will be presenting “Krystallos” at Saks Fifth Avenue in their “Food Meeting Performance” exhibition. The Miami-born artist and 2008 Whitney Biennial exhibitor was kind enough to speak with SocialMiami to let us know what to expect at Wednesday’s event.

“Since I’ll be at Saks,” he said, “I’ll be creating a jewelry display out of sugar and candy. I’ll create a display in the Saks display cases and live models will wear the candy jewels.”

Rodriguez is a local talent who has worked professionally as an artist for 15 years, though he has truly started to receive broader attention for his irreverent and bold choices over the past five years. He believes Miami’s growing cultural presence has helped him to reach an international audience.

His process involves seeing a completed vision and then executing that vision. “There is an element of humor in all my work,” he explains. “I work intuitively; things just sort of come to me. I don’t tinker. I spend a lot of time in the planning, which is why they call it conceptual art.”

Come check out Bert’s latest conceptual vision at Bal Harbour Art Nights. He’s just one of several talented artists and producers who are staging exhibitions that evening at Bal Harbour. Here is more of what can be expected:

The Art and Artists

Saks Fifth Avenue: joining Bert Rodriguez in the “Food Meeting Performance” exhibtion is Susan Lee-Chun. Their interactive foodscapes that will encourage visitors to eat and mingle. The event will be based partially on happenings, events that took place in the 1960s which were theatrical presentations staged by artists that incorporated spectator participation. The event will be whimsical, playful, kitschy fun. Cocktails courtesy of Grey Goose Vodka.

“Disappearing Act” by Susan Lee-Chun
Sol LeWitt-inspired edible creation featuring Yummy ChunBuns

Susan Lee-Chun, obtained her BFA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and MA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has exhibited & performed widely in the U.S. and abroad: Herning Kunstmuseum (Denmark), Vienna Biennale (2006), Pacific Asia Museum (LA), The Moore Space and Museum of Contemporary Art (Miami). Lee-Chun has also held residencies at the Bemis Center in Omaha, NE and Threewalls in Chicago. Her work is found in public collections, including the Miami Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami. She is represented by David Castillo Gallery in Miami, FL

Neiman Marcus: experience “Boho Chic” with a unique video and live musical installation.

“We live inside the world” by Christy Gast
A violin, cello and video showcase of the contemporary Queen classic, Bohemian Rhapsody. Arranged by Patricia Garvey with violin by Will Haapaniemi and Cello by Joe Lee.

Christy Gast has exhibited at museums and galleries internationally, including Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich; Centro Cultural Matucana 100 in Santiago, Chile; Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and High Desert Test Sites in California, Artist’s Space, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and Harris Lieberman Gallery in New York; and Gallery Diet, Miami Art Museum and the Bass Museum of Art in Miami. Her upcoming project Herbert Hoover Dyke is currently at the De La Cruz Collection, and her installation Untitled (Emptied Signifiers) was on view at Pulse Contemporary Art Fair during Art Basel Miami Beach. Gast resides in Miami and is represented by Gallery Diet.

In Bal Harbour Shops, North Courtyard

“Hi Pressure” by the TM Sisters
A larger than life video game, activated by two people at a time, each participant transforms from viewers into performers as they play with this digital, interactive video piece. Each person controls a spear fisher in an underwater scene and will try to strike as many fish, crabs, mermaids, surfers, pirates, tritons, and other oceanic characters to rack up the most points. In the end, there is only one winner who celebrates to the sounds of a childhood ice cream truck. Each session lasts less than two minutes.

Monica Lopez De Victoria and Tasha Lopez De Victoria grew up in Miami and collaborate under the name TM Sisters. They work in the mediums of video, digital video performance, VJing, collage, social experiments, zines, clothing, installations, and interactive video created along with their brother Samuel. Their do-it-yourself ethic started by being home schooled together by their parents. They were raised with intense psychological and spiritual discussions regarding behavior, relationships, creativity, and truth. The sisters’ work has been included in the international exhibitions “Uncertain States of American Art in the 3rd Millennium” curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Daniel Birnbaum, and Gunnar B. Kvaran, the Second Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, and PERFORMA 07. Their work has been seen and written about in publications like L’Officiel magazine, The Guardian, STEP Inside Design, the New York Times, Vogue Italia, and on the cover of ARTnews magazine for its 2007 “25 Trendsetters” article.

In Bal Harbour Shops, South Courtyard

“Salute to Motown” by Overtown Music Project featuring Bobby Stringer of the International Platters

Overtown Music Project, intended to honor that illustrious, unforgettable era with big band, jazz, blues and funk performances. Prepare for special appearances by soul singer Bobby Stringer of the International Platters and renowned performances at the farmed Sir John’s Knightbeat, the hottest club in the 1960s Overtown. Join in to pay tribute to Overtown nightspots, which once served as a musical beacon for Motown royalty, drawing everyone from Aretha Franklin to James Brown to the Magic.

In Bal Harbour Shops, Center Courtyard

Art Nights Lounge, hosted by The Residences at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort present a selection of videos from the collection of Celia Birbragher and “The Art of Spanish Wine”.