From March 11-13, Aspen Ideas: Climate will bring together local and global artists to present their works highlighting today’s urgent environmental challenges, and the solutions needed for tomorrow
Miami Beach, FL, March 6, 2024 – Today, Aspen Ideas: Climate, in partnership with the City of Miami Beach, announced its lineup of arts programming featuring a diverse group of artists and innovators from south Florida and the world. The public art commissions, film screenings, and performances will highlight critical challenges related to climate change and sea level rise. A limited number of passes remain on sale, while members of the media are invited to apply for press credentials.
The range of artistic expressions, from immersive visual artworks to inspiring short films, will provide attendees with unique perspectives on the urgency and complexity of today’s climate challenges, guiding them toward charting a course forward. One of the major themes of Aspen Ideas: Climate this year is “Narratives of Change,” which will explore how narrative art can change our understanding and approach to climate solutions. The full arts programming agenda is available to view here.
Visual Art Installations and Performances: The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, through its Resiliency 305 initiative, and the City of Miami Beach, will gather a diverse cross section of Miami-based artists for visual art installations and multimedia performances. Among the installations taking place at Aspen Ideas: Climate:
- Prototypes for Reflections Under the Sea: Star World, by Carlos Betancourt in collaboration with Alberto Latorre, is an underwater sculptural installation informed by the beautiful imagery of the migration of starfish and alludes to the reflection of stars high above in the sky.
- Asser Saint-Val’s KLASS-C-FI is a collaborative, multi-sensory, and interactive art installation and performance involving a diverse group of local artists. This immersive experience features elements such as a helium sculpture, a piano resonating with Debussy’s “La Mer” improvisations, operatic vocals, sound bowls, drums, body painting, aromas, and food. KLASS-C-FI II , a related installation will be on view inside Hall C of the Miami Beach Convention Center March 11-13.
- Words to Sea, an ongoing project by Miami-based artist Amanda Keeley, immerses visitors in a contemplative atmosphere of calm mindfulness and self-reflection. The interactive experience guides guests through a moment of focused gratitude and fosters inner balance as they consider their fragile ocean surroundings.
Other installations include works by lou anne colodny, Smita Sen, Alexis Alleyne-Caputo, Nicole Salcedo, and Beatriz Chachamovitz.
These artworks are presented by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs through its Arts Resilient 305 Initiative, made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, City of Miami Beach Mayor, City Commission, and City of Miami Beach Tourism and Culture Department’s Cultural Affairs Division.
- The Hurricane of Trash (HOT) art installation, presented by the Aspen Institute, brought to life by artists Joanne Wang and Nick McBrian, vividly illuminates the pressing issues of climate change and plastic pollution, casting a spotlight on the environmental challenges confronting our world.
Short Films Premiere on March 13: The City of Miami Beach and Oolite Arts have commissioned three compelling short films that will premiere during Aspen Ideas: Climate. Each film, created by South Florida-based filmmakers, received a $15,000 grant through the Climate Commissions program. The films include:
- The Mango Movie by Jayme Gershen: Through a tapestry of observation, personal anecdotes, and collective reflections, The Mango Movie, a short documentary about how people eat mangos, adopts an emotional lens, delving into the heart of Miami’s beloved mango season and its intricate connection with climate.
- Ripples by Joshua Jean-Baptiste: Luz, a passionate environmental researcher, discovers her community is at risk of being flooded by an impending development. Opposing her mentor’s cautious approach, she sparks a grassroots discussion that threatens to derail the lucrative investment.
- Before the Flood by LeAnne Russell: A portrait of a man reflecting upon his youth before the end of the world as he knew it.
The power of storytelling: A key theme of Aspen Ideas: Climate 2024 is “Narratives of Change,” which will uplift storytelling, in its many forms, as climate solutions. Among the impactful storytellers joining Aspen: Ideas Climate:
- Futurific Studios’ Kathryn Murdoch and Ari Wallach preview their new PBS docuseries, A Brief History of the Future. The six-part series, which premieres April 3, challenges dystopian narratives about our shared future by showcasing potential solutions to existential threats.
- Authors C. Pam Zhang, Lily Brooks-Dalton, Jenny Offill, and Téa Obreht explore the role fiction plays in conveying the reality of climate change, with podcast host Mitzi Rapkin.
- 2024 Artivists, a Washington, DC-based group of arts leaders committed to developing a community-based art project that focuses on climate-related issues impacting their city.
In addition to the films, visual arts, and onstage presentations, Aspen Ideas: Climate will host a series of performances including dance, spoken word, poetry, and video presentations that explore the intersection of art and climate.
As part of organizers’ commitment to sustainable programming, Aspen Ideas: Climate has partnered with ClimeCo to offset the event’s carbon emissions, funding greenhouse gas abatement projects in Florida. Aspen Ideas: Climate is supported by title sponsors John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Related Group, and the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation. Additional sponsors include Howard and Caroline Draft, Ami and Jack Glottman, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lennar Foundation, LSN Partners, AstraZeneca, Wells Fargo, American Airlines, Major Food Group, Bank of America, Miami-Dade County, and the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.
For media: Journalists interested in attending Aspen Ideas: Climate as covering reporters are invited to apply for press credentials here. For more information, visit www.aspenideasclimate.org.
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The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
World-famous Miami Beach welcomes millions of visitors each year to its white, sandy beaches, turquoise waters and vibrant cultural scene. Known for its colorful art deco and MiMo architecture, the 7.2-square-mile island offers some of the finest dining and hotel experiences anywhere along with a beautiful oceanfront promenade that connects South Beach to North Beach. Steps away from the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach is also at the forefront of identifying workable solutions to meet the challenge of sea level rise.