INSTALLATION
+ PUBLIC ART
999
FAENA ART PRIZE, MIAMI BEACH: Proposal submitted July 2022
DESCRIPTION:
999 is a site-specific installation for the Faena beach advocating a transition to normalize the
production and use of eco-friendly materials. The installation will consist of one red and two
white 3D digitally fabricated boxes that will sit on top of their three painted shipping crates.
Referencing a connection to nature, the 3D-printed boxes have five sides with Voronoi patterns.
Color-matching the printed boxes, the crates will be painted red and white. Each box will be filled
with seven large red and white beach balls sewn from upcycled and recycled textiles. At night, the
monuments will be lit by solar-powered spotlights. The title, 999, is a number symbolizing the
coming of the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another.
INSPIRATION:
The beach ball symbolizes carefree play. It’s associated with a retreat from the urban environment
to a pool or an ocean. It can be a solo activity but usually, it is a group one of collaboration and
competition. Similar to a resilient spirit, a beach ball pops up when it’s pushed down underwater.
But there is a dilemma because beach balls are made of plastic, which is polluting our oceans and
overwhelming landfills.
We are experiencing the Anthropocene, a period where human activities have the dominant impact
on climate and the environment. We have the opportunity to use technology to explore ways to
coexist in nature without destroying it, to create eco-friendly materials, often inspired by nature
itself, that are biodegradable, recyclable, and upcyclable.
Seeking to draw attention to sustainability and conservation issues, a step towards activating
community involvement to make positive changes, my creative process involves rescuing and
utilizing items from dumpsites. As part of my practice, I explore a variety of media and techniques,
and specifically for this project a focus on technology’s role in developing eco-friendly materials and
working towards a circular economy.
Studying elements existing in nature power technological advancements. The Voronoi pattern,
seen in nature, has both aesthetic and mathematical values. I use it as a visual design element
to honor and show respect for nature, especially significant in a setting by a precious ocean.
I’m confining the beach balls in a box that alludes to the natural world, to play with the idea of
reversing the tendency to create materials that destroy the habitat, in favor of those that embrace
it. The beach balls are both on display and imprisoned in the boxes.
I believe that it is truly time to end the misuse of technology that increases our carbon footprint.
It is time to use creative solutions to reverse the impact.