While there is so much art happening in Miami right now, there are a two immersive exhibits that caught our eye.
"Gardens Speak" and "As Far As My Fingertips Take Me," part of Miami Dade College’s (MDC) MDC Live Arts performing arts series, "Ojala/ Inshallah: Wishes from the Muslim World," are two interactive installations by artist Tania El Khoury. "Gardens Speak" is through Saturday at the Gleason Room at the Fillmore and "As Far As My Fingertips Take Me" is in the Clinton Room at New World Symphony.
Let's first look at Lebanese-British artist El Khoury's first installation in "Gardens Speak." Many gardens across Syria conceal the dead bodies of activists and protesters who walked the streets during the early uprising. The immersive experience sold out at The Public Theater’s Under The Radar Festival. Ten audience members at a time are invited to dig soil to reveal the lives of the deceased, whose oral histories have been carefully re-constructed by loved ones and sourced sound material. Hailed as “extraordinary, and emotionally wrenching” by The New York Times, the profound rite of memory is not only a moving account of their lives and untimely deaths, but also a poignant commentary on the costs of war.
Her second installation, "As Far As My Fingertips Take Me," is a conversation through a gallery wall between an audience member and a refugee. Through touch and sound, stories of border discrimination are shared. The piece is co-created by and based on the story of Basel Zaraa, a Palestinian refugee who made the journey from Syria to the United Kingdom and now works as a graffiti and stencil artist, as well as a musician and spoken word artist. As recounted by a reporter in The Guardian, “His tale doesn’t just touch me in a fleeting way – as the many stories and images reported in the newspapers do – it goes further. It marks me.” Though Zaraa will not be in attendance at this performance as his visa to the United was denied, his voice and story will be told through the audio portion, as another artist exacts the physical elements.
Gardens Speak by Tania El Khoury: Dec. 6-8, at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m.; Dec. 9 at 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Gleason Room at the Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. $28 @ mdclivearts.org. Only 10 people admitted per hour. Arrive early as there will be no late seating. Accessibility challenges, contact mdclivearts@mdc.edu for details.
As Far As My Fingertips Take Me by Tania El Khoury: Dec. 6-8: 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. and 8 - 10 p.m.; Dec. 9: 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. and 4 – 6 p.m. Clinton Room at New World Symphony, 17th Street, between Washington and Drexel Avenues. $15 at mdcliveart.org. Only four people admitted per hour. Performance is one-on-one and lasts approx. 15 minutes. Participants may have to wait up to 45 mins during their scheduled hour.
