Up until recently the Dancing Lady, a 200-foot tall LED fixture on the tower of the InterContinental Hotel was the star of downtown Miami. Then last December three dancers took over her spot, leaving the sultry silhouette in digital history. But underneath these shining skyline stars is the work of emerging local/international artist, Francesco Lo Castro. His "YOU ARE HERE" animation plays 24/7 on a 35-feet by 15-feet LED display screen above the hotel's main entrance, facing downtown. The hotel also uses the screen for other things, like a New World Symphony performance, as needed.
It is bright enough to be seen during the day, and is best viewed from the driveway leading up to the hotel's entrance. The hotel mounted his video installation in time for Art Basel 2012 when the hotel unveiled its renovations. Five other video installations by various local artists can be viewed inside the hotel's lobby, some of which are single screens and others serve as all-encompassing art walls.
Robert Hill, InterContinental Miami's general manager, sought to rebrand the place as an arts platform. His vision is to continue curating new works for the forthcoming Art Basel.
Lo Castro's work was selected as the hotel's marquee video piece because of its 'wow factor' and striking use of a typical Miami color palette. The animation features a piece from his "Geometry Series," a collection of abstract paintings that reflect a society in flux, emerging technology and global communications. He teamed up with Beeple (graphic designer Mike Winkelmann, who does short films) to transform a painting in video format. YOU ARE HERE is divided into sections entitled Gamatria, Gamete, and Meridiana, viewable in higher resolution here, here, and here. Seeing the geometric shapes collide takes viewers on a mesmerizing kaleidoscope that is quite evocative. No word on when the hotel will stop running this four-minute visual goodness.
—Andrea Richard
· YOU ARE HERE [YouTube]
· InterContinental Hotel coverage [Curbed Miami]
Loading comments...