June 11–August 15, 2015
Museum of Art and Design at MDC
Since the beginning of his art practice in Cuba in the early 1980s, Florencio Gelabert has continued to look for ways of expression that go beyond the traditional standards of sculpture, using unconventional materials and forms, and deconstructing the actual concept of sculpture itself. His efforts have focused on the creation of sculptures and installations that incorporate elements extracted from nature, utilitarian objects, and architectural fragments. This exhibition of a new series of large-scale sculptures, installations, drawings, and sketches explores topics such as beauty and destruction, violence and serenity, through the manipulation of materials and the re-creation of imaginary spaces.
Florencio Gelabert’s work is included in several public and private collections, including Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA), Long Beach, California; Vin & Sprithistoriska Museet, Stockholm, Sweden; Neuberger Museum of Art at Purchase College SUNY, New York; The Goldberg Collection at Nassau County Museum, Roslyn Harbor, New York; MOCA, North Miami; The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, FIU, Miami; Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach; the Santa Fe Museum of Art, New Mexico; and the Cisneros Collection in Caracas, Venezuela.
Florencio Gelabert, JOURNEYS: A Dialogue with Time is curated by Jeremy Mikolajczak. The exhibition is generously supported in part by Miami-Dade County, Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, The Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
Florencio Gelabert, JOURNEYS: A Dialogue with Time, installation view, Museum of Art and Design at MDC, June 11–August 15, 2015. Photo by Alejandro Taquechel. © Museum of Art and Design at MDC.
Right: Forest Chart, 2014, aluminum structure, milky Plexiglas, Styrofoam, LED lights, and electrical hardware, 49 x 72 ½ x 6 inches (124.5 x 184.2 x 15.2 cm).
Florencio Gelabert, The Wall, 2015, Styrofoam, steel bars, and tiles, 95 x 76 x 50 inches (241.3 x 193 x 127 cm). Photo by Alejandro Taquechel. © Museum of Art and Design at MDC.