Art in Miami: Bakehouse 2020

FIU Honors College students assisted artist Lauren Shapiro in the creation of her 2020 installation Future Pacific at the Bakehouse Art Complex.

“Future Pacific (November 21st, 2020- May 30th, 2021) is a project supported by a broader outreach grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant was awarded to marine ecologist Dr. Nyssa Silbiger for research on how human-driven stressors, including climate change, affect coastal marine ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean. Together, Shapiro and Silbiger cast silicone molds of coral specimens to recreate them as textures in an immersive installation. Shapiro uses unfired clay to illustrate the fragility of coral reefs in response to human activity. The material gives visual form to the importance of Dr. Silbiger’s research: as the clay dries, cracks and tears apart, it mimics the degradation of the corals. The artistic interventions facilitated by Future Pacific are a testament to the power inherent in collaboration. Over the course of a month, Shapiro worked with the local community to layer the clay over subverted architectural forms. Through these experiences, she aims to cultivate environmental stewardship and recognize the researchers who work to protect coral reefs. As participants touched the clay, they contributed to Shapiro’s interpretation of a vanishing underwater world.” https://laurenshapiroart.com/future-pacific

Read more about Lauren Shapiro’s Future Pacific
https://laurenshapiroart.com/future-pacific

http://www.bacfl.org/exhibitions/futurepacific