Sense of Belonging II approaches public art as a field of symbolic production with the capacity to reconfigure the relationship between community, territory, and urban experience. The curatorial operation rests on a precise methodological decision: the works are not physically relocated to the museum but incorporated through their photographic record in their actual sites. Here photography functions both as a device of displacement and as an instrument of mapping. Public art, dispersed by definition across the city, is rarely experienced as a whole; the exhibition constructs precisely that collective reading which everyday experience does not allow.
The conceptual premise is organized around the shift from "site" to "place"—from the site defined by its use to the place charged with character, history, and meaning. That transition is not automatic: it depends on a sustained understanding of each environment's specific conditions—architectural, geographical, and social—and on the capacity of the work to activate those latent layers. Far from operating as ornament, the pieces gathered in the exhibition intervene in the construction of meaning and shift the status of urban space.
The selection operates within a relational framework: the works are accessible, open, and community-oriented. Through sculpture, urban interventions, murals, installations, and interactive practices, the artists reconfigure both the built and the natural landscape, introducing new readings of the everyday without imposing a fixed narrative. The curatorial framework organizes this material into six lines of inquiry—sculptures and monuments, urban interventions, art and architecture, murals, interactive public art, and art and landscape—which function less as discrete compartments than as permeable axes of reading.
An institutional dimension runs through the entire exhibition: most of the documented works have been commissioned by public programs—Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, Broward County Public Art and Design, the Village of Pinecrest, and the Department of Public Housing and Community Development. This places Sense of Belonging II in a particular position: it is not only an exhibition about art, but a visible record of the sustained work that South Florida administrations have developed in public art over the past decade, and an implicit argument for the importance of maintaining that infrastructure.
The exhibition covers a broader territory than a first reading suggests. Beyond Miami-Dade, the project extends into Broward and Coral Gables, three institutional poles with distinct commissioning bodies—Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, Broward County Public Art & Design, and Coral Gables' Art in Public Places program, among others—which together reinforce the project's territorial dimension and allow South Florida to be read not as a homogeneous unit but as an articulated system of administrations that have sustained public art over the past decade. Within that map, Hartvest Project operates not only as a curatorial platform but also as a commissioning body: three of the pieces in the exhibition—by Marco Caridad, Paola Mondolfi, and Carola Bravo herself—were produced in 2022 for the Historic Bird Cage at Pinecrest Gardens on direct commission from Hartvest, evidencing a line of public art production that exceeds the strictly exhibitionary function. The presence of Bravo as an exhibiting artist, with six works incorporated into the selection, follows naturally from this logic: her work in public art is a substantive part of the heritage the exhibition maps, and her inclusion is consistent with the very nature of the project.
The exhibition is conceived under the artistic and curatorial direction of Carola Bravo, a Venezuelan-American artist, architect, and cultural activist based in Miami, founder of Hartvest Project. Her work—across public art, immersive installation, and video—has sustained a long-standing inquiry into the fragile boundaries between territory, history, and the longing for belonging, earning her recognitions including the Ellies Creator Award and the Bass New Monuments Award, as well as more than twenty public art commissions. That trajectory informs the curatorial framework of the exhibition with precision.
Sense of Belonging II extends the project inaugurated in 2023 at the same museum and consolidates a line of work by Hartvest dedicated to making visible, articulating, and opening to discussion the public art heritage of South Florida. The exhibition is also part of MoCA Américas' sustained programming devoted to producing critical readings of the territory and building bridges between the institution and the practices that take place beyond its walls.
This exhibition has been made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.
List of Artists and Works
Carlos Alves Zen Garden and Metamorphosis (2018). Ceramic, mosaic tiles, glass, concrete, aluminum. 10'h x 3'w x 3'd. Broward Addiction Recovery Center (BARC), 325 SW 28th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Carola Bravo Engaging Urban Lines #1 (2017). Acrylic paint, anti-graffiti coating on walls and LED color lights. 4,400 sq ft. Banyan Street Capital Building – 80 SW, Miami, FL 33130. Commissioned by ICART.
Engaging Urban Lines #2 (2018). Temporary installation – cut-out and pix-art painted metal fence. 110 linear ft x 6 ft high. 700 Brickell Avenue, Miami, FL 33178. Commissioned by Casacor and Swire Corporation.
Deep Roots Map (2018). Poured terrazzo and metal on floor. 1,000 sq ft. Pinecrest Gardens, Cypress Hall, 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL 33156. Commissioned by Village of Pinecrest.
Water Map (2020). Cut-out and Pix-Art zinc, stainless steel. 30 x 25 ft. Baptist Hospital Doral, 9500 NW 58th Street, Doral, FL 33178. Commissioned by Baptist Hospital and DORCAM.
Water Glow (2021). Photo-luminescent and traffic paint on asphalt. 0.25 mile long x 12 ft wide. NW 170th Bike Trail, Town of Miami Lakes, FL 33178. Commissioned by Town of Miami Lakes and the Public Space Challenge.
The Colors of Freedom (2022). Temporary installation – acrylic paint on tubes, threads and cords. Variable dimensions. Historic Bird Cage, Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL 33156. Commissioned by Hartvest Project.
Ruth Burotte Urban Treasures (2015). Vinyl art wrap, digital print. Variable dimensions. Broward Municipal Service District (BMSD), Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Marco Caridad @ProjectMyLabel (2022). Temporary installation – paper, yarn, ropes, upcycled fabrics and performance. Variable dimensions. Historic Bird Cage, Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL 33156. Commissioned by Hartvest Project.
Alberto Cavalieri Ignea Magna (2018). Stainless steel. 16.6' x 8.8' x 5.9'. 10250 NW 19th St, Doral, FL 33172. Commissioned by Hotel DoubleTree by Hilton Doral.
Xavier Cortada Diatom Fountain (2017). Hand-carved, hand-painted ceramic and mosaic on concrete. 6' x 8' x 8'. Smathers Plaza, Little Havana. Commissioned by Miami-Dade Housing Authority.
Underwater HOA: Elevation Drive (2018). Paint on asphalt. Variable dimensions. Killian Drive (also known as Elevation Drive). Commissioned by Village of Pinecrest.
Shoal (2023). Powder-coated aluminum. 4' x 224' x 5". Deerfield Beach Main Beach Parking Lot. Commissioned by Deerfield Beach.
Franky Cruz Between Destiny and a Hard Place (2023). Bronze, polymer concrete, native ferns, pollinator plants, mosses, irrigation system. 8 x 8 x 8 ft. Gallery on the River, Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development, 401 NW North River Dr, Miami, FL 33128. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Cara Despain Water / Tables (2021). Cast concrete, terrazzo, waterjet cut aluminum with brushed brass finish. 2.5' x 5' x 9' (2 tables). The Underline, Department of Transportation and Public Works, SW 1st Avenue and 9th Street, Miami, FL 33130. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Edouard Duval-Carrié Oak Grove Rhapsody (2019). Polyptych: painted resin panels, water-jet cut metal, etched acrylic, LED fixtures. 10 x 18 ft. Father Gerard Jean-Juste Community Center at Oak Grove Park, 690 NE 159th St, Miami, FL 33162. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Naomi Fisher The Frieze Project (2014). Cast gypsum cement. Windows: 150" x 53½" (4); Doors: 150" x 75" (2). Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Rose-McQuillan Welcome Center, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
75 Palms (2017). Cast concrete integrated into the building façade. 2020 Salzedo Street, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by Codina Partners for Coral Gables Art in Public Places Program.
Dara Friedman The Empress (2020). Concrete, shells, gemstones, oolitic limestone boulders, plants (Land Art). Miami-Dade County Empowerment Center, Community Action and Human Services Department. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Sunday (2022). 35mm cinema transferred to 6.5K video, conformed to LED, Neutral 7 paint. 19-minute loop, silent. LED video wall comprised of 16 columns, 35' x 65'. Virgin Voyages Terminal V, PortMiami, 718 N Cruise Blvd, Miami, FL 33132. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
George Gadson Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (2010). Naval bronze, travertine stone, granite. 5'h x 15'w x 8"d. Lauderdale Lakes Library, 3580 W Oakland Park Blvd, Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33311. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Jessica Gispert Vaina Invoca: The Source (2022). Diptych. UV print on dibond. 30 x 20" each, 1/5. Brisas Del Este II, Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 2927 NW 18th Avenue, Miami, FL 33142. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Vaina Invoca: Poinciana Wallpaper (2022). Artist-designed wallpaper. Variable dimensions. Brisas Del Este II, Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 2927 NW 18th Avenue, Miami, FL 33142. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Luis Gispert Every Separation is a Link (2022). Cast bronze and bitmun stucco. 11' x 26'. Gallery on the River, Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development, 401 NW North River Dr, Miami, FL 33128. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Felice Grodin Árbol Cósmico / Cosmic Tree (2019). Satin gold paint over aluminum. 11'-2" x 7' wide (diameter). Senator Villas, Miami-Dade Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 8915 SW 40th Terrace, Miami, FL 33165. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Líneas de vida (mano izquierda y mano derecho) / Life Lines (left hand and right hand) (2019). Exterior paint, hand-painted murals generated by projected, vectorized freehand drawing. East mural: 25' wide x 13'-4" tall; West mural: 31'-3" wide x 13'-2" tall. Senator Villas, Miami-Dade Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 8915 SW 40th Terrace, Miami, FL 33165. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Regina Durante Jestrow Extended Connections (2020). Temporary installation – over 300 painted concrete tiles of various sizes, covering a 52' x 60' area. Deering Estate. Commissioned by Deering Estate.
Kelley Johnson A Memory of Wandering (2022). Aluminum, paint and vinyl. Site-specific installation. FedEx Building Expansion at Miami International Airport, Aviation Department, 4331 NW 22nd Street, Miami, FL 33166. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Alec Kreisberg Venice in the Gables – 2030 (2018). Cast fiberglass, painted. Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
Monique Lazar Venice in the Gables – Local Flora and Fauna 1 (2018). Cast fiberglass, painted. 220 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
Lugufelo Spinnaker (2015). Painted aluminum. SW 128th Street and SW 57th Avenue, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the residents of Gables by the Sea.
Tin Ly Communal Dream (1999). Mural with painted reliefs, engraved black lines with painted aluminum forms. 21'h x 60'w. Homeless Assistance Center, W Sunrise Blvd & NW 7th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Pepe Mar The Machine (Garden by the Sea Series) (2021). Acrylic on polycanvas on aluminum stretcher. 80 x 60". Brisas Del Rio, River Park, Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 850 NW 13th Court, Miami, FL 33125. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Savage Bouquet (Garden by the Sea Series) (2021). Brisas Del Rio, River Park, Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 850 NW 13th Court, Miami, FL 33125. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
The Traveling Eye (2021). Pottery, metal and Formica on wood, in architectural niche. 53 x 107". Brisas Del Rio, River Park, Miami-Dade County Department of Public Housing and Community Development, 850 NW 13th Court, Miami, FL 33125. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Ernesto Maranje Avian Odyssey (2019). Mural painted with latex, acrylic and aerosol paint. 20' x 40'. Port Everglades Harbormaster Tower, Midport Garage. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Robert McKnight The Founders Wall with Larcenia (2021). Glass mosaic tile. 132" x 307". Larcenia J. Bullard Plaza, Miami-Dade County Internal Services Department, 14508 Lincoln Boulevard, Miami, FL 33176. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Grahame Menage Venice in the Gables – Decomposition (2018). Cast fiberglass, painted. Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
Elio Mercado Untitled (2019). Exterior acrylic paint. 20'h x 53'w. Boys & Girls Club, 3025 W Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Paola Mondolfi Balance (2022). Temporary installation – wood chair structure with treads. 24 x 24 x 43h. Historic Bird Cage, Pinecrest Gardens, 11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL 33156. Commissioned by Hartvest Project.
Gary Moore The Harrambe Room (2003). Photo mural and terrazzo floor. 10'h x 28'w x 28'd. African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC), 2650 Sistrunk Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
We Are Nice'n Easy (Allison Matherly & Jeffrey Noble)
Immersive Ingression (2018). Exterior latex paint. 20'h x 100'w; 36'h x 18'w. Port Everglades, CT2 (Exterior), 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Ripple (2022). Powder-coated aluminum tubing, exterior paint. 18 x 120 ft. Jackson West Medical Center, Public Health Trust, 2801 NW 79th Avenue, Doral, FL 33122. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Jessy Nite Sun Stories (2019). Temporary installation – acrylic. Giralda Plaza, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
Michele Oka Doner Monumental Ritual Bench and Radiant Table with Lanterns (2022). Patinated cast bronze. The Plaza, 2901 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by Agave Holdings, LLC for Coral Gables Art in Public Places Program.
Christina Pettersson Wonderful Isle of Dreams (2019). Drawing on board. 8'H x 15'W x 1'D. Caribbean Village, Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, 19757 SW 110th Ct, Cutler Bay, FL 33157. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Marielle Plaisir Abysse (2021). Water-jet cut aluminum. 8.55 x 13.60 x 1/4". Father Marquis Barry Apartments, Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, 301 NW 17th St, Miami, FL 33136. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Evelyn Politzer Tree Huggers and Nests (2022, in celebration of Earth Day). Temporary installation – outdoor fabric, stainless steel wire, outdoor fiber filling and thread. Variable dimensions. Miami Beach Botanical Garden, Miami Beach. Commissioned by Miami Beach Botanical Garden.
Sri Prabha The Joys of Broward Illuminated (2017). Video art, mixed media, artifacts, LED lighting, electronics. 7.5'h x 2'w x 4"d. Government Center East, 115 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Rei Ramirez Venice in the Gables – Murano Spiral (2018). Cast fiberglass, painted. Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
Karen Rifas Welcome to the Village (2019). Hand-painted ceramic tile. 1,000 sq ft. Caribbean Village, Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, 19757 SW 110th Ct, Cutler Bay, FL 33157. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Cristina Lei Rodriguez Homegrown (2022). 3/4" vitreous glass mosaic. Front wall: 24.4' x 23.3'; side wall: 43.1' x 23.3'. Westchester Cultural Arts Center, Department of Cultural Affairs, 7930 SW 40th St, Miami, FL 33155. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Nicole Salcedo Palm Breeze and Seagrape Welcome (2021). Cementitious terrazzo, in two parts. 900 sq ft. Father Marquis Barry Apartments, Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, 301 NW 17th St, Miami, FL 33136. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Onajide Shabaka Three Ubangui (female) Totems (2021). Welded and painted aluminum. Three elements: 10'H x 1'8½"W x 1'8½"D; 8'H x 1'4½"W x 1'4½"D; 6'H x 1'0½"W x 1'0½"D. Carrie Meek International Business Park, Opa-Locka Executive Airport, Miami-Dade Aviation Department, 142 NW 42nd Avenue, Opa-Locka, FL 33154. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Troy Simmons Janus Portal (2022). Reinforced concrete, aluminum veneer, drywall over OSB wood boards, structural steel and aluminum. Site-specific installation. Bombardier Service Center, Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, Aviation Department, 15000 NW 37th Ct, Opa-Locka, FL 33054. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Magnus Sodamin Garden of Earthly Delights (2019). Acrylic on aluminum. 48 x 180". Caribbean Village, Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development, 19757 SW 110th Ct, Cutler Bay, FL 33157. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Stereotank (Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sarah Valente) Sound Cactus (2021). Mixed media. Variable dimensions. Allapattah Library, Miami, FL. Commissioned by The Allapattah Storytelling Garden, Miami Public Space Challenge and Oolite Arts.
Mette Tommerup Sky of the First Water (2022). Engraved aluminum. 147' x 36' x 3". Platform 3750, Miami-Dade County Community Action and Human Services Department, 3750 Harriet Tubman Hwy (US1), Miami, FL 33133. Commissioned by Art in Public Places Trust, Miami-Dade County.
Ruben Ubiera Glory and Defeat (2015). Acrylic paint on paper collage. 12'h x 24'w. Lauderhill Central Park Library, 3810 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill, FL 33311. Commissioned by Broward County Public Art & Design.
Andrew Williams Venice in the Gables – Pop Venice (2018). Cast fiberglass, painted. Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
Venice in the Gables – Coloured Houses (2018). Cast fiberglass, painted. Venetian Pool, 2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL. Commissioned by the City of Coral Gables.
This exhibition is made possible thanks to the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners and Rodriguez Collection
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