Feria Clandestina this past week in Florida represented what art is meant to be.
The scene was captivated with original collections and passionate collectors who all came together for groundbreaking exhibits. The program for the 2023 edition was held at MiMo’s 7 Seas Motel which collaborated for a third consecutive year with showcased galleries and independent projects. Each mini show took over the rooms of the historic location from December 7th to Saturday, December 9th at 5940 Biscayne Boulevard.
Curator Nuria Richards and Real Estate developer Sagar Desai have partnered for the past three years to provide discounted room rates and exhibition space for over 250 projects from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, the United States, and the United Kingdom during a season that has become cost-prohibitive for both locals and visitors, challenging the rich cultural exchange tradition of the city.
Clandestina was founded by Nuria Richards in 2019 as a collateral art initiative and is a channel of participation for artists, galleries, and independent projects. Clandestina partners with the local and international community to create ecosystems that promote curatorial opportunities and cultural exchange.
The entire event itself is also unique in the way it full supports the art community. Rooms showcase exhibits at the motel, but when the crowd goes home they also are generously offered as accommodations for visiting artists from out of town. Everything about the show is approachable and for the true art lover.
“I’ve been to all the art fairs in Miami Beach. They’re all beautiful events, but very high end very expensive, which makes a high barrier to entry for a lot of local and emerging artists and curators who don’t actually have the funds or the resources to go to events like that,” reflects Desai who generously donates his property for the event. “So we want to create a space to support artists during a very expensive Art Week in Miami and make it feel like it’s approachable, make it feel like it’s a community.”
Special Projects included an immersive installation featuring “Crud Buddies” harvested from Biscayne Bay and mural (unveiling) by MILAGROS Collective; and the trash-clean-up community oriented “Geographies of Trash” by Ahol Sniffs Glue and curated by Zack Spechler.
On opening night, Miami duo MyFi Studio presented a live analog glitch and electronic music audiovisual performance with an interactive invitation for visitors to “glitch portrait” themselves. The fair also hosted the celebration of 15 years of Pocket of Lollipops; Friday night held a music with the performance of BORRI, Pocket Of Lollipops, and Big Child playing inside the pool while visitors throw offerings of flowers to the musicians as part of the whimsical motel’s pool intervention “Below the Surface” by Maitejosune Urrechaga.
Exhibitor Club Gallery, founded by Amanda Baker, was in Room 114. This young gallerist runs her project from The Citadel and focuses on building a platform for Miami artists. From Mexico City, Plomo Gallery (Room 109) presented a proposal by artists Manuela GarcĂa, Margot Kalach, and Emiliano Aivar; and the Black Piglet Gallery (Room 103) brings to Miami a curated show presenting seven Mexican artists. Hialeah-based twin sisters Sam & Sarah Ferrer brought their whimsical ceramics and paintings to Room 201, while Nicen Easy highlighted fun’n sunshine in Room 210.
The iconic 7 Seas Hotel is one of the oldest motels within historic Biscayne Boulevard in the Miami Modern neighborhood, also known as MiMo. The two-story building was set for Donnie Brasco, Dexter, and No Pain No Gain. The Property is undergoing renovation under the stewardship of Sagar Desai and Activate Hospitality.
For more details, please visit: www.clandestina.art
