Miami Design District 2018: What to See

Carlos Betancourt
Primary Projects Design District
Now—January 12, 2019
For his first show at Primary Projects (and his first solo show in Miami in nearly 10 years), Carlos Betancourt is presenting new works. The sculptural pieces on view, made from thousands of holiday lights and tree-toppers, evoke nostalgia, memory, and American tradition. The artist is known for creating wall assemblages of found and domestic objects. About working with light in particular, he has said, “It is as if recalling all things enchanted to my experience, perhaps even a piece of the night sky.”

Bethany Collins’ “The Litany”
Locust Projects Design District
Now—January 26, 2019
Bethany Collins has created a site-specific installation with “The Litany” at Locust Projects. In the main gallery is My destiny is in your hands, a life-size room-within-a-room, with a white wallpapered interior. On the wallpaper are the official state flowers of the American South, which Collins has used to memorialize episodes of violence in American history. She’s referencing the popularity of flower dictionaries in circulation in the 19th century, in both the U.S. and England. At the center of the room is her book America: A Hymnal, which compiles 100 versions of “My Country ’Tis of Thee.” During Art Basel in Miami Beach, a durational performance intervention will take place at the gallery as well.

Judy Chicago’s “A Reckoning”
ICA Miami Design District
Now—April 21, 2019
“A Reckoning” is a major survey of Judy Chicago’s work that follows her transition from abstraction to figuration. The artist is a pioneer of the feminist movement, an iconic voice in the still male-dominated art world. Her work addresses historical narrative, labor, form, and male and female roles. Chicago calls into question what it means for an artwork or method to be gendered—craft, such as needlework or embroidery, versus large-scale sculpture, painting, and even pyrotechnics. The exhibition is presented by Max Mara, which has collaborated with the artist to create a limited-edition T-shirt that will launch on December 3.