The symbiotic relationship between man and animals will be on display at the Ninth Street Pedestrian Mall in historic Overtown as part of a powerful and primal exhibit by My Urban Contemporary Experience (MUCE) Dec. 4-6.
“The Animal Kindred Spirits” installation features a dozen 8-by-8-foot murals and a sculpture garden designed to highlight themes of migration, adaptation and resilience within the community context. By immersing the community in art, the project seeks to encourage dialogue about local history and the importance of environmental stewardship.
The exhibit, says curator CaCos Muce, isn’t intended to guide viewers to any specific conclusions, but rather to provide them with a moment of clarity and a chance to ponder the complex relationship between man and nature.
“We want people to walk away thinking and feeling whatever the exhibit evokes in them,” said Muce, who cultivated a passion for art as a youngster growing up in France and New York.
“There’s always been a relationship between animals and man with animals providing food, labor, transportation, clothing, security, wellness, pollination and even medicine,” said Muce, who calls Miami home. “The question is in our constant pursuit of evolution have we developed a disregard for the animals around us; do we consider them as part of the eco system or do we push them out to pasture?”
Muce says the concept was inspired by the works of several artists who depict the relationship between people, plants and animals in their works including Nate Dee, Edouard Duval Carrie, Oscar Martinez and Inna Malostovker, just to name a few.
As a world traveler, former photographer and filmmaker, Muce says he’s always had a penchant for storytelling. He says the exhibit tells the story of the complex relationship between human migration and animal displacement in the natural world. Just as urban development and climate change have disrupted animal habitats, redevelopment has reshaped communities, shifting families and cultural traditions. This exhibition highlights the relationship between humans and animals
as a way to reflect on adaptation, resilience and coexistence.
In addition to the art walk, the exhibit will include conversations, talks and lectures with the artists, hands on art projects, concert performances and community vendors
Connecting, educating and elevating the community is central to MUCE’s cause. Its sister nonprofit, MUCE Educate was founded in 2016 to create cultural spaces and produce artistic programming that fosters and nurtures creative talent in urban neighborhoods, rich in heritage but lacking in resources.
It is a platform that elevates the voices of BIPOC artists and provides a bridge for the community to explore, collaborate and serve through the arts.
Muce says Miami’s art scene is flourishing and art week is definitely a special time for him and the city.
“Art week has a bigger economic impact on Miami than the Super Bowl,” says Muce. “Art has been so influential in the growth of this city and in order to have a world class city, art has to be at the forefront.”
