No Commission, presented by BACARDI and The Dean Collection at the Faena Forum, took place last week in Miami on December 6 and 7. Returning with an exciting lineup, as well as talks, activities, and musical performances, Swizz Beatz dreamed up the idea to have a photography-only exhibition, “Take The Shot,” with hand-selected photographers. As usual, the artists selected exhibited work at no cost to them, and all proceeds from the works sold went directly to the artists.
“I wanted to go through the lens of a photographer because it was the most relatable medium at this current time when everybody feels like they’re photographers,” said Beatz. “I picked a lot of unknown names for this show. There are so many people around the world doing photography, and the submissions that we accepted were a lot of no-names. It’s amazing.”
Walking into the rose marble amphitheater, guests were greeted to a Bacardi bar and video projections on the walls. Around the bend, they were then guided to Exhibit Hall A, where the building’s observation deck anchored a large open space—used Friday for a “paint and sip” session, and each night for performances.
The walls were lined with photography—some mounted in glass, some focused on black-and-white techniques, some manipulated. We first scanned the perimeter to see what the main focus was, if any, but quickly learned that the diversity of what was shown was most powerful.
An image of an undeveloped subdivision in Nevada by Michael Light showed the winding roads of a site before construction and development was implemented. Next to it was a blurred digital print entitled Temptation of Nasir by Kahdeem Jefferson.
Relatability in subjects (with pictures of some people embracing each other, others looking up) was matched with familiarity. Next to New Jersey 03 by Arielle Bobb-Willis was an image of Mickey Mouse holding an ice cream cone by Deanna Lawson.
We caught sight of some photo manipulation, in a gold baroque frame, with A Jugar Con Tierra Y Palitos by Hermes Berrio. And two pmixed media pieces on dibond and wood by Nailah Fumilayo Davis entitled Jason and Mojo Disco caught our eyes with enlarged facial features. Next to it, an image of a white iPhone headphone piece woven into a pierced ear was by Gab Bois.
Pieces like Nyadhour Elevated by Dana Shruggs, Untitled from the Oyere Series by Lauren Ashley, Erica’s Portrait (Black Eyes) by Dana Goldstein, and Movement Study 1: Street Ballet X by Elizabeth Bick offered looks into the lives of people from around the world.
