Marco to Miami unfolds as both an exhibition and a cultural statement—one that underscores the significance of interregional collaboration and the vitality of Florida’s artistic ecosystems. Through an expansive array of media and styles, the show captures the creative energy of Florida’s Gulf Coast while weaving it into Miami’s rich and ever-evolving cultural fabric. The participating artists offer a compelling portrait of Southwest Florida’s artistic diversity and depth. Their work invites new dialogues around regional identity, shared histories, and the broader landscape of contemporary expression.

The Cuban art collection of Mr. Méndez has been assembled over the course of two decades, beginning in Havana itself. The works were acquired directly from the artists—an approach that, from the outset, served as both a gesture of patronage and a means of sustaining their creative paths. In that same spirit, Leonardo Rodríguez has also prioritized direct acquisition as a form of support and commitment to the artists. The convergence of both collections, soon to be revealed in a series of joint exhibitions, will offer art enthusiasts a far broader—and simultaneously more nuanced—perspective on the Cuban cultural phenomenon within the field of visual arts. The exhibition brings together both emerging talents—such as Daniela Águila and Brenda Cabrera, to name just two—and established figures of the stature of Alfredo Sosabravo and José Manuel Fors. In total, fifteen works are on display, spanning media such as watercolor, oil and acrylic on canvas, silkscreen, bronze sculpture, and a site-specific installation piece.

Hosting an exhibition by the renowned Spanish sculptor Carlos Albert marks a significant milestone for the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) and the vibrant community it serves. The inclusion of his work in our curatorial program reaffirms the museum’s commitment to excellence in contemporary art and to fostering international artistic voices whose trajectories and visions enrich the cultural dialogue within our local context. Carlos Albert has established himself as a pivotal figure in contemporary Spanish sculpture. His practice—deeply rooted in the tradition of wrought iron—melds technical mastery with a poetic visual language of striking expressive power. In his work, matter is transfigured into gesture, balance, and latent energy, revealing a sensibility that transcends borders and resonates with diverse audiences. For MoCAA, presenting this body of work to the South Florida public is both an act of cultural exchange and an invitation to engage with an aesthetic of profound formal and conceptual rigor. Although the artist could not be with us in person on this occasion, due to prior engagements in Costa Rica, his presence is powerfully felt in every piece on view. This exhibition is thus not only an opportunity to encounter—or rediscover—the force of his sculptural language, but also a celebration of artistic connection across geographies, and of the enduring power of art to inspire and transform, regardless of distance.

What does it mean today to speak of lineage, of ancestry, of descent? Is it a burden, a continuity, a scar, a myth? This exhibition offers no definitive answers, but instead opens a fertile space for visual inquiry. In a time when identities are rapidly reshaped and familial narratives fracture or fade, the works brought together in Descendencias suggest a return to the intimate—not as nostalgia, but as a gesture of critical re-engagement with what still defines us, often beyond our will.