Sawubona: I See You

Photo Credit: Alon Skuy

Vernissage: December 5, 6-9 PM
December 6, 12-5 PM and 7-9 PM
December 7, 2-9 PM
December 8, 2-5 PM

Location: Temple Emanu-El
1701 Washington Ave, Miami Beach
Please enter through the Washington Ave entrance

Sawubona: I See You invites viewers to embark on a journey through the rich visual and cultural landscape of South Africa, presenting an intimate and multifaceted portrait of South African life. The word "Sawubona," an everyday greeting in Zulu that means "I see you," offers a poignant lens through which to approach this exhibition. Here, "seeing" transcends the simple act of looking; it calls for an encounter, an acknowledgment of the stories, struggles, resilience, and beauty embedded within each piece.

In this exhibition, a diverse selection of paintings, drawings, and photographs—most of which come from the collection of Dr. Jeffrey Apter, neuroscientist, art collector, and founder of Apter Art—reflects the depth and complexity of South African society. Through these works, artists reveal the pulse of South Africa, capturing scenes of daily life, intimate family moments, and the textured, vibrant communities that make up its social fabric.

The installation of a large clothesline, strung across the gallery and adorned with garments worn by multiple generations of South African families, further contextualizes the exhibition. The clothesline, a common sight across the globe, serves as a powerful yet humble symbol of shared humanity, bridging the space between continents and cultures. Each article of clothing on the line carries the imprint of lives lived, stories told, and traditions passed down. This installation not only contextualizes the artwork but also anchors it in the universal, echoing the exhibition’s invitation to “see” South Africa not as something distant or foreign but as intrinsically linked to our own experiences.

By centering the theme of “I see you,” Sawubona challenges us to move beyond preconceived notions and assumptions, fostering a space of recognition, respect, and connection. As we walk through this collection, we are reminded that art, like the clothesline, connects us across vast distances. It is an expression of identity and humanity, an invitation to see, understand, and ultimately to be seen.

Featured Artists: Happy Dhlame, Cassius Khumalo, Andile Komanisi, Asanda Kupa, John Vusi Mfupi, Alon Skuy

Curated by Stacy Conde

The Space in Between

Conde Contemporary is making a highly anticipated return to Coral Gables for a special three-day exhibition, "The Space in Between," from Friday, October 4th at 6:00 PM through Sunday, October 6th at 5:00 PM. Hosted at 212 Miracle Mile, this exhibition delves into themes of belonging, home, and the personal journey of returning to familiar places that have evolved with time.

Curated by gallery owner Stacy Conde, the exhibition explores the intricate balance between past and present, and how we exist in a "space in between"—where we are both connected to our origins and evolving into our future selves. At the core of this reflection is the metaphor of the silver cord, symbolizing the enduring bond between one’s birthplace and their chosen home. Much like quantum entanglement, this connection transcends physical distance, keeping us tethered to our origins even as we explore new territories.

The featured artists—Rubén Torres Llorca, Courtney Egan, Ciro Quintana, Andrés Conde, Kevin Sloan, Giovanni Gellona, Ruth Owens, René Portocarrero, Pablo Santibáñez Servat, Ernesto Capdevila, Danco Duportai Garcia, Henry Rodriguez Bíenes, and Aimee Perez— bring a dynamic blend of mediums and narratives to the exhibition, from evocative sculptures to thought-provoking paintings and new media works. Their pieces invite the viewer into a dialogue about duality, belonging, and the tension of returning home.

Stacy Conde, reflecting on her own personal journey, shares: "This exhibition is deeply personal, marking my first return to Miami since moving during the pandemic. It will be bittersweet I’m sure, bridging the space between my past and present, while reconnecting with the artists I’ve long represented and introducing new voices in primarily New Media. 'The Space in Between' speaks to the tension of belonging, where home feels both familiar and transformed, mirroring my own experience as well as the shared experiences of so many in Miami."

This event would not be possible without the generous support of Mindy McIlroy, President of Terranova, and Terranova Corporation, who continue to champion the arts in Miami. Their commitment to nurturing Miami’s cultural scene has made this return to Coral Gables possible.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Conde Contemporary back to Miracle Mile. The gallery’s return is a momentous occasion, bringing with it an exhibition that reflects the themes of identity and transformation meaningful to Miami’s diverse community,” said Mindy McIlroy, president of Terranova. “We believe this pop-up will be a great success and a memorable moment for Stacy, the artists, and the community at large,” she added.

In an exciting collaboration, pastry chefs Molly Manning and Christian Velez, finalists from Food Network’s Spring Baking Challenge, will represent Natchez, MS, and South Florida respectively. They will come together to create a conceptual hors d’oeuvre that represents the exhibition’s theme of "being in two places at once." Sponsored by Natchez Food and Wine Festival, the City of Natchez and Natchez Gallery Suites, their culinary creation will add a multi-sensory layer of culinary art to the event, evoking the exhibition’s themes through flavor and presentation.

Don’t miss this limited-time opportunity to experience "The Space in Between" and engage with works that question and redefine the concept of home and identity.

Dates & Times:

• Opening Reception: Friday, October 4th from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

• Saturday October 7th: from 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM

• Closing: Sunday, October 6th from 12:00PM - 5:00 PM

  Location: 212 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables, FL 33134
  

Diminutive Works: An International Collection of Art

"Diminutive Works" celebrates the art of small-scale creations by artists spanning the globe. This curated collection showcases the intricate, exquisite, and captivating works of talented artists, offering a unique opportunity to appreciate artistry on a diminutive scale. From diverse cultural influences to individual artistic expressions, these small treasures encapsulate the essence of each artist's larger practice. Affordable and accessible, these pieces not only invite collectors to start or expand their collections but also present an ideal opportunity for gift-giving, fostering a connection between the artists and art enthusiasts worldwide. Explore this exhibition to uncover the world's miniature wonders and discover the beauty within these small yet impactful creations.

Joan of Arc
Oil on Wood Panel
12.2 x 9 in
Giovanni Gellona

Featured Artists: Giovanni Gellona, Kevin Sloan, Jeff Faust, Elizabeth Hormel, Danco Duportai Garcia, Rubén Torres Llorca, Ivonne Ferrer, Andrés Conde, Marion Sulkin, Edel Bordon, Noah Saterstrom and Louise Heneley.

Join us, Friday, December 15th from 6-9 pm at Conde Contemporary, 334 Main Street in Natchez. Advanced collectors preview online, December 1st. Email info@condecontemporary.com for passcode.

Specious Morphology

Join us Friday, May 12th, 2023 for the opening reception of the immersive installation “Specious Morphology” by Gerry Stecca at Conde Contemporary, 334 Main Street in Downtown Natchez. The following morning, Saturday, May 13th at 10:30 the gallery will host an artist talk with Stecca.

Gerry Stecca is a working artist and professor at Savannah College of Art and Design, visiting Natchez as part of the Arts Danu teaching artist residency program, whereby artists are given a place to stay and work in Natchez for a given period of time; in exchange the artists agree to teach students in the community for free.

This will be the fifth version of “Specious Morphology”, four others showings have taken place: Alexander Hall in Savannah, Silvana Facchini Gallery in Miami, Coosa St. Pop Up Gallery in Montgomery, Alabama and Miami Dade College in Florida. Additionally works from and inspired by these shows were shown at the Patricia and Phillip Art Museum in Miami.

Stecca graduated with his MFA from SCAD, but his earlier studies at the University of California in San Diego, where he received his BA in Visual Arts, Stecca also studied, biology, organic chemistry, molecular biology and genetics. The influential traces of these studies are evident in his work.

“I observe, absorb and digest aspects of nature which eventually blend into my works' imaginary depths of space, line, color and composition. Inspired by early microscopic investigations as a child, extensive childhood Lego's architectural experimentation and later study of science, I create my own, tangible yet specious art and designs. 

Tree Wrap installation.

The physical essence of my sculptures and paintings is rooted in the accumulation of units, multiple layers of paint and plaster and endless patience; parallel methodologies and shared inspiration allow them to coexist and evolve as one. The cadence of a repetitious sculptural process is mirrored in the layered mixed media paintings and drawings. Fastidious to most, I achieve an enjoyable meditative like state during these stubbornly repetitive art making sessions. All together, my work forms penetrable spaces framed by paintings of imaginary journeys. 

Inspired by casual explorations at the edge of the Everglades and now Coastal Georgia ecosystems, my backyard, my childhood in the tropics and many travels, these works now exist in their own plausible and fantastic dimension.” - Gerry Stecca

The artist uses more than 25,000 clothespins, in excess of 250 collected and treated snail shells and hundeds of Sand Hickory nut shells, thousands of fee of galvanized steel and copper wire, over 100 paintings and drawings as well as approximately 150 individual sculptural pieces to create the installation.

Do not miss the opportunity to view the exhibition and meet with the artist.

The Wishing Tree

Allumer Natchez, Mississippi's first annual light based art exhibition and festival, brilliantly lit up the grounds of Dunleith Historic Inn November 19th-21st in Natchez, Mississippi. The event was free and open to the public, purposefully removing economic barriers to attendance.

Allumer Natchez is meant to provide a path, through art, for the community to come together, outdoors, post pandemic, while helping establish Natchez as a center of innovation in the state of Mississippi and the Southeast.

One of the featured installations, "The Wishing Tree", conceptualized by Stacy Conde, co founder of Allumer Natchez, and executed by arts collaborative Arts Danu, was an immersive experience, situated under a 260 year old Magnolia tree. Participants were beckoned to come in and place a wish within the cave of the ancient magnolia which glowed with green light, and asked to explore the mystical and sacred space within the tree boughs while sorting through a shimmering passageway of secret hopes shared within the environment.

"The color green is important to the installation as it's both symbolic of nature and the heart center. Even the soundscape we played was a specific frequency...", said Conde, "...theoretically, it's supposed to clear energy blockages of the heart...whether it does or not, I have no idea, but it certainly set the perfect tone."

A group of girls dressed as fairies, organized by Nicole Harris in association with Natchez Little Theatre, aided festival goers in pinning their wishes to long green ribbons hanging from the Magnolia's branches. Some of the paper wishes were rolled or folded very carefully while others were pinned open for all to see.

Click here to view the individual wishes of our community, Natchez, Mississippi.

"The experience of walking under the boughs of the tree, and passing through hundreds of wishes fluttering the wind, was uplifting and heart breaking at once. When it was time to uninstall, I couldn't just throw away the hopes of our community, it felt disrespectful. Instead, each and every wish will be listed on allumernatchez.com and condecontemporary.com, omitting names where they are mentioned in order to respect everyone's privacy. The project will culminate on January 2nd, when we will burn the wishes and send them out into the world", said Conde.

Click here to view the individual wishes of our community, Natchez, Mississippi.

Tokens of Memory : The Miniature Portrait Project

Retrato Numero 1 / Portrait Number 1

“Portrait miniatures first appeared in European royal courts in the 16th century, and flourished during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. By the 18th century their popularity was widespread, with leading miniature painters establishing themselves among the wealthy elite in London, Bath and Dublin. Miniatures were particularly sought after by soldiers and sailors who wanted to leave their loved ones with a likeness to cherish in their absence.” - Christies.com

“Tokens of Memory : The Miniature Portrait Project” is a work in process. The project is naturally indicative of Duportai’s body of work which consists primarily of small format paintings, replete with concepts of token and memory. His interest in painting in miniature arises from the desire of making each of these works more intimate, he focuses on the smallest detail.

Danco Robert Duportai Garcia

“Just as the history of the miniature developed largely on different pieces or objects for personal use such as watches, medallions, etc. I have tried to intervene on elements such as: cassettes, staple bars or makeup bases. If you enter a gallery and see my works on general view in the space, you will see only lights on the wall. I spend hours reducing dimensions to an inspired image of a memory, sometimes a portrait, a glass of wine, books or fragments of a pair of feet that one day will stop treading on this earth”, said the artist.

The portrait is the main language of Duportai’s work and with that he seeks to achieve two main goals. One is to capture the personality of the subject in just a few centimeters, and the second is to rescue the miniature portrait from its steady decline since the 19th century.

“The size of the portraits is actually a great equalizer, at once reflecting and removing them from their past…”, said gallerist Stacy Conde, “…their size and medium have democratized the tradition of giving a portrait as a memento, and removed the act from the exclusivity of the cultural elite.”

Each gold framed, oil on canvas portrait included in “Tokens of Memory : The Miniature Portrait Project” series is 8 x 10 cm or 3.15 x 3.9 inches in size and priced at $1,000, plus shipping. If you would like to participate in the project and commission a portrait, please contact us by clicking the button below. Follow the progress of the project on Instagram and Facebook @miniatureportraitproject

More information on Danco Duportai…

Allumer Natchez

Allumer Natchez will light up Natchez this November with cutting-edge contemporary art installations in an exploration of illumination. From November 19th – 21st local and national artists will be invited to celebrate the city for the premiere of Natchez’ newest annual festival. Across one magical weekend artists will reimagine historic spaces and transform the way locals and visitors experience the city.

A free festival, Allumer Natchez will provide access to the arts and opportunity to engage the collective Natchez community in a city-wide celebration of culture. 

Allumer Natchez will bring the community together as we emerge from the COVID 19 pandemic and position Natchez as a center of innovation within the region and state.

Allumer Natchez provides a significant opportunity for catalyzing the local economy, offering a new opportunity for marketing the city and attracting tourists. Allumer Natchez will provide an economic boost for local businesses when they need it most, while drawing attention to and illuminating existing Natchez amenities and attractions.

Please join us in 2021 for the premiere of Allumer Natchez!

For more information on the project visit allumernatchez.com , for sponsorship opportunities email stacy@allumernatchez.com .

Noah Saterstrom : What Became of Dr. Smith? A dual splintering of mind and history.

The Burning of JT Smith Drugstore, Donaldsonville, Louisiana, 1904
Noah Saterstrom

Conde Contemporary is delighted to present the work of Noah Saterstrom in the online solo exhibition, "What Became of Dr. Smith? A dual splintering of mind and history". The Artsy exclusive exhibition and online viewing room, run from February 12th thorough March 14th on Artsy.net.

Raised in Natchez, Mississippi and educated at Scotland’s Glasgow School of Art, Saterstrom's series "What Became of Dr. Smith" is an ongoing series of paintings about his great grandfather, an itinerant optometrist in Mississippi, whose mental illness, criminal transgressions and subsequent disappearance resulted in his near full erasure from the family history.

"With the 'What Became of Dr. Smith' series, Noah is attempting to piece together a visual timeline of his great grandfather's life. The resulting images are hauntingly beautiful and surreal. Many of the subjects appear ephemeral, as though they may disappear into dust at any moment", said Stacy Conde, Director of Conde Contemporary, "Noah has a way of capturing ghosts on canvas, with exact yet loose strokes and a genuine mastery of light."

"I, armed with a sheaf of ancestral photographs and first-person written accounts, and in conjunction with the help of Mississippi’s State Librarian, have been searching state, local and private archives for evidence of Dr. Smith’s life", said Saterstrom.

Painting is a slippery and non-linear medium, which makes it uniquely suited to this inherently fractured and disjointed story. Dr. Smith’s tale is rendered in a series of narrative paintings that are united in their disordered reflection of a dual splintering of mind and history. Much of the imagery is derived directly from family photograph albums from the years before Dr. Smith’s disappearance.

"The series so far has produced hundreds of small “study” paintings as well as the collection of larger works that I’m delighted to show here with Conde Contemporary. The culmination of this body of work will be shown at the Mississippi Museum of Art in 2023”, stated Saterstrom.

Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil

Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil

 For Immediate Release, Natchez, Mississippi,  September 8, 2020 -  Conde Contemporary presents a multi-sensory, immersive art exhibition titled “Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil”, taking place this October 16th-18th (Friday 5-10pm, Saturday 12-8pm and Sunday 12-6pm), at Conde Contemporary, 334 Main Street, Natchez, Mississippi. “Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil” is coronavirus mandate compliant as well as free and open to the public.

 Stacy Conde, gallery owner and curator of the exhibition, is partnering with plant and event designer John Grady Burns of Hal Garner at Nest, to recreate a garden in Natchez at midnight within the confines of her gallery. The exhibition examines the duality of good and evil, and challenges the viewer to re-examine preconceived notions while immersed in the beautiful and surreal environment of the primordial garden.

 The exhibition is largely dark, with the main sources of light coming from twinkling “stars” hanging from the 24 foot high ceiling above, two light based artworks by Courtney Egan, and focused light on each artwork which punctuates the midnight garden scene. 

The cadre of artists Conde is showing in this exhibition are an international group of award-winning artists, whose work can be seen in museums across the globe. Most notable among them is Cuban artist José Bedia, winner of the Guggenheim Fellowship Award, with works in the permanent collections of The Met, The Tate, and The Whitney, among others. 

 Featured artists include: José Bedia, Ernesto Capdevila, Andres Conde, Courtney Egan, Darian Mederos, César Orrico, Pablo Santibáñez Servat, Noah Saterstrom, Kevin Sloan, and Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio.

 Immediately on approaching the gallery, visitors will notice tableaux on the theme of good and evil in the two front windows flanking the entrance. One family group or party will be allowed to enter the gallery at a time. Each party is free to explore the exhibition for a set period, allowing for distancing, before the next group enters.  A gallery assistant will be stationed inside the exhibition to guide visitors out the back door where refreshments will be available.

 Controlling the number of visitors experiencing the installation at a time helps foster a safe and healthy environment within the gallery, and also maintains the quiet and surreal atmosphere inherent to the exhibition.

 “I’ve long wanted to mount this exhibition but frankly I had neither the space in Miami to properly execute, nor the support”, says Conde who moved her art gallery Conde Contemporary from Miami to Natchez in May during the height of the pandemic. “Moving to Natchez has afforded us both the space and the support needed. We owe a debt of gratitude to Visit Natchez for helping fund this project and for recognizing the positive socioeconomic impact art can have on a community”, says Conde.

Check out condecontemporary.com for more information on participating artists, the gallery, and for updates on “Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil”.

Stacying With Artists

Ok, so it’s not technically an exhibition. It is however a tv show. A tv show about art featuring yours truly, Andres Conde and the tribe of artists we know and love. The show airs Sunday, March 22nd at 8:00 pm on The Beach Channel. No Beach Channel?  No problem. Download The Beach Channel App, available at the Apple App Store, Amazon App Store, and Google Play or search The Beach Channel on Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV or Amazon TV. …you can also just click the link a the end of this post and scroll to the bottom of the page.

”Stacying [Stay-see-ing] verb the act of conversing, dealing, loving, shaping, laughing, teaching, and being taught in a way that is distinctly, uniquely, incredibly Stacy. And that’s the premise of our show; Stacy doing what Stacy does with the artists she works with at her gallery. Candidly conversing with creators- on what inspires them, on what their process looks like, on what segments of pop culture they secretly indulge in. Mixing the sacredness of art with the profanity of van chit chats, Stacy is our liaison into an artist’s mind to find out maybe they aren’t so different from us, the unrefined masses, after all. All over food, wine and most importantly- cafecito. 

Each episode will start at Conde Contemporary, our home base, with our familiars Stacy and Andres…”
Read more here…

Lucky 13 : art by 12 artists and 1 artist who is art

Join us for "Lucky 13 : art by 12 artists and 1 artist who is art.",
a group exhibition of international artists from France, Mexico, Cuba, the US, Chile, and Spain, at Conde Contemporary on Friday, March 13th from 6:00 - 9:00 pm.

“Lucky 13” features two of the most important living Cuban artists José Bedia and Ruben Torres Llorca, (both of whom will be in attendance), as well as a performance piece by Norberto Rodriguez who is visiting from LA. In fact, the vast majority of artists participating, will be in attending the opening.

The exhibition features works by : Darian Mederos, Andres Conde, José Bedia, Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio, Ruben Torres Llorca, Luis Rodriguez Noa, César Orrico, Françoise de Felice, Marion Sulkin, Ernesto Capdevila, Kevin Sloan, Pablo Santibáñez Servat and an interactive performance by Nor(bert)o Rodriguez.

RSVP

COCO in LA!

Girl on Couch, 2020
oil on linen
Darian Mederos

Miami, FL - January 23, 2020 - The 25th Annual LA Art Show, the most comprehensive international art show in America, will officially kick-off the city's art season at the Los Angeles Convention Center February 5, 2020. This year will be the largest lineup of art and programming in the city's history, with the LA Art Show Leading the way.

Conde Contemporary, a Coral Gables based art gallery specializing in representational works has been selected to participate. Conde Contemporary shows works by international artists but maintains its Miami focus. "We have an international program but actively seek to represent local artists, of the 16 artists we work with regularly, 11 are based here in Miami", says gallery director Stacy Conde, "We're delighted to expand their audience and show them again this year in LA." 


Six Views of The Sea, 2020
acrylic on canvas
Kevin Sloan

Conde, and by extension the gallery, champions artists with strong technique. "Imagination is half the battle, getting what you imagine out of your head and sharing it with the rest of the world through visual art, in whatever form that takes, is the other half. The visual should stand alone in my opinion, the artist's statement should add to the experience, but if the visual expression is so lacking that one must read a book to understand what is before them, then the visual communication between artist and viewer has failed."



"Our artists possess a high level of technical skill across their chosen disciplines and styles, their ability to execute their visions are strong", she continued, "There's been a movement toward representational art for some time now. 'The Comedian' by Maurizio Cattalan this year at Art Basel was the art world's very own 'Mili Vanilli' moment. If he was speaking on the rampant absurdity in contemporary art, he succeeded brilliantly."



Conde Contemporary will highlight painting and sculpture by : Françoise de Felice, Darian Mederos, Ernesto Capdevila, Cesar Orrico, Kevin Sloan, Ruben Torres Llorca, Andres Conde, José Bedia, Pablo Santibáñez Servat, and Adrian Avila.

Visit the Conde Contemporary Booth, 1109/1208. The LA Art Show runs from February 5th - February 9th.

From The Series : Landscapes of the Mind
oil on canvas
Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio

Scorpio 1969

Detail: “Blind Faith” Adrian Avila

We are born at a given moment in a given place and like vintage years of wine we have the qualities of the year and of the season in which we are born. Astrology does not lay claim to anything else. – C.G.Jung

Simply stated, “Scorpio 1969” is a group exhibition featuring 50 works by some of my favorite artists: Anthony Ardavin, JC Arana, Adrian Avila, José Bedia, Ernesto Capdevila, Andres Conde, Elaine Del Cerro Yau, Danco Duportai Garcia, Natasha Kertes, Darian Mederos, Raiman Rodriguez Moya, Pablo Santibáñez Servat, Enrique Toledo, Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio, and Ruben Torres Llorca.

Join us Thursday, November 7th from 6-9pm at Conde Contemporary, 204 Miracle Mile, for an exquisite trip into the subconscious and celebration of my particular vintage, “Scorpio 1969”.

Look forward to seeing you!

- S

The Silence Project

The Silence Project, a partnership between The Business Improvement District (BID) of Coral Gables, the Coral Gables Community Foundation, the City of Coral Gables and Conde Contemporary, will be unveiled on Friday, June 28. The internationally known project by Flor Mayoral will feature portraits of Coral Gables community members pressing fingers to their lips and forming the universal sign for silence, in select vacant storefronts along Miracle Mile.

Meet photographer Flor Mayoral at the opening exhibition of The Silence Project Friday, July 5th from 6-9 pm, at Conde Contemporary (204 Miracle Mile). Portrait sales are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and benefit the Coral Gables Community Foundation.

After the opening, from 8-10 pm, guests are invited to walk a block to McBride Plaza (150 Miracle Mile) and take part in the interactive video projections. Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to participate in creating their own “Silence Project” photos by using the hashtag #silenceproject and uploading their images to Instagram, for a chance to have their photo projected the following weekend at the McBride Plaza event which takes place each Friday and Saturday evening throughout the summer.

Mayoral began the Silence Project in 2007, creating the now instantly recognizable black and white portraits of people from all walks of life making the sign of silence.

“The Silence Project urges us to communicate on a deeper level, a soul level, which can only be reached through silence. Flor Mayoral has captured the people who make up the fabric of this community and knitted them together in silent reverie,” said Stacy Conde, Director of Conde Contemporary.

“These single portraits are telling a story of a community that can elevate itself above the noise and still connect,” said Venny Torre, president of the BID of Coral Gables “Coral Gables is made up of people from all walks of life, so this is a project that celebrates the city’s diversity and culture.”

“I am beyond pleased that my artistic endeavor is bringing organizations in Coral Gables together, in service of the community”, commented Flor Mayoral.

Starting June 28, fourteen storefronts will showcase 75 black and white portraits of people who make up the fabric of the Coral Gables community in silent reverie. There will also be a public exhibition at McBride Plaza (150 Miracle Mile), which includes large scale portraits and interactive projections on Fridays and Saturdays, beginning on Gallery Night, Friday, July 5 and running through Friday, August 2nd. 

Select Miracle Mile storefronts include: 200 Miracle Mile; 202 Miracle Mile; 216 Miracle Mile; 219 Miracle Mile; 223 Miracle Mile; 225 Miracle Mile; 257 Miracle Mile; 299 Miracle Mile; 308 Miracle Mile; 330 Miracle Mile; 355 Miracle Mile; 365 Miracle Mile; 376 Miracle Mile and 380 Miracle Mile.

Idols of The Tribe

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We welcome you to join us on Thursday, April 18th from 6-9 pm at 204 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables for the opening of the experiential group exhibition “Idols of The Tribe”. Featured artists include : Anthony Ardavin, José Bedia, Ernesto Capdevila, Andres Conde, Elaine Del Cerro Yau, Natasha Kertes, Andy Llanes Bulto, Laura Luna, Darian Mederos, Mariana Monteagudo, Luis Rodriguez Noa, Enrique Toledo, Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio and Ruben Torres Llorca. “Idols of The Tribe” runs through May 30th. Call to schedule a private viewing.

“On a recent Thursday night, the Conde Contemporary Gallery on Miracle Mile held the opening for its new show, “Idols of the Tribe,” a collection of symbolic and magical realism works mostly by Cuban and Latin American painters and sculptors. If the gallery scene in the Gables is dead, no one bothered to tell the more than 400 people who came through the gallery that night.” — JP FARBER, CORAL GABLES MAGAZINE

“The father of the scientific method, Sir Francis Bacon, tells us to disregard our idols, for they are a logical fallacy. Only his brand of science understands reality, and generations of men will use it to dominate nature, rendering her, in his words, “the slave of mankind”. 

‘The Idols of the Tribe have their foundation in human nature itself, and in the tribe or race of men. For it is a false assertion that the sense of man is the measure of things. On the contrary, all perceptions as well of the sense as of the mind are according to the measure of the individual and not according to the measure of the universe. And the human understanding is like a false mirror, which, receiving rays irregularly, distorts and discolors the nature of things by mingling its own nature with it.’  — Sir Francis Bacon, Novum Organum, Aphorism XLI

Ancient wisdom tells us that perception is in fact reality, and so now does quantum physics.  Isn't it possible that the measure of the universe was built into the minds of humans, as we ourselves are built of the universe?

Quantum physics has proven the act of observing "things" changes them. The cold, disconnected, and totally objective fantasy of science simply does not exist. If everything we view is distorted and discolored, and mixed with our own nature by simply looking at it, then there is no pure form of nature, at least none we can experience, on any level, and if there is no pure form, only we can be the measure of things based on our individual experiences.  

It is no secret the guardians of ancient wisdom have often been women. Guardians of a sort of knowledge that flew in the face of Bacon’s arguments. Is it a coincidence Bacon was directly involved in witch trials? Should we ignore his participation in the 300 year long genocide of women? Does his language of power, torture, domination and the sexual violation of nature (referred to with feminine pronouns) mean anything, or was it just a sign of the times?

We embrace our idols, and we choose them wisely. We are creating universes. I’ve always known this, but then I’m a woman. You can believe me now because science agrees.”

S. Conde

no method to our madness

c. j.

blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah. blah blah blah blah blah blah: blah, blah blah, blah blah. blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah? blah blah blah blah blah blah! 


blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. "blah blah blah blah, blah blah", blah blah blah. blah blah blah blah blah. blah blah blah blah; blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
blah: anthony ardavin, nestor arenas, josé bedia, ernesto capdevila, andres conde, natasha kertes, darian mederos, raiman rodriguez moya, luis rodriguez noa, niko rakusa, luis enrique toledo del rio, alexi torres blah ruben torres llorca.

Return to Order

Transient | Agnieszka (Agnes) Grochulska

Join us on Friday, November 30th, at 6:00 pm for the opening of "Return to Order" a group exhibition featuring :  Anthony Ardavin, José Bedia, Andres Conde, Elaine Del Cerro Yau, Danco Robert Duportai Garcia, Agnieszka (Agnes) Grochulska, Natasha Kertes, Darian Rodriguez, Luis Rodriguez Noa, Enrique Toledo, Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio, and Ruben Torres Llorca.

Born of the savagery of war, and named for a book of essays, "Le rappel a l’ordre" by Jean Cocteau, return to order was a life affirming European art movement which marked a return to the traditional and rejection of the avant garde so prevalent in the years leading up to World War I.

"...Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso the inventors of cubism, with its fragmentation of reality, abandoned it for more traditional styles. Classicism was an important thread in the return to order, and in the early 1920s Picasso entered a neoclassical phase. Braque painted calm still life and figure pictures which, while still having some cubist characteristics, were simple and readable. The former Fauve painter André Derain and many other artists turned to various forms of realism. Futurism, with its worship of the machine and its enthusiasm for war, was particularly discredited. In Germany the Neue Sachlichkeit (or ‘new objectivity’) can also be seen as part of the return to order." - Tate.org

The exhibition "Return to Order" represents the humanization of art and unashamedly embraces representation of the human form and the natural world, while allowing for expression of the artist's individual point of view.
 
The exhibition closes on January 2nd.

COCO at Context

Conde Contemporary

Booth C-113

Join Us!

Conde Contemporary, AKA COCO, is delighted to announce its participation in CONTEXT / Art Miami this season at the spectacular new location One Herald Plaza, NE 14th St and Biscayne Bay, in Booth C - 113.

Conde Contemporary, the gallery known for figurative work and a focus on contemporary Cuban art is growing, in both size and scope. "While my love of Cuban art will never die, neither will it blind me to appreciation of work from different points of origin", explains COCO Director, Stacy Conde.

Currently their roster of artists hail from Italy, Eastern Europe, South / Central America and of course, Cuba.  With the addition of a second location in the legendary former Versace store on South beach at 755 Washington Avenue, she has plenty of room to show them. "The two locations, Coral Gables and South Beach, are both in Miami but they could not be further apart in terms of markets.  We're exposing our artists to a completely different clientele in Miami Beach.  One is not better than the other, they're just distinct", says Conde.

This year at CONTEXT / Art Miami, COCO plans to exhibit : Luis Enrique Toledo del Rio, Darian Rodriguez Mederos, José Bedia, Luis Rodriguez Noa, Alexandra Slava Sevostianova, and Leonid Rotar. 

"We're very excited about the fair this year. Julian Navarro has once again done a remarkable job in choosing the participating galleries, we find ourselves among a very strong group.  Further, the new location of CONTEXT and Art Miami could not be better in terms of access and parking."

New Works : Ruben Torres Llorca

No Te Preocupes Mi Amor, Esta Obra Carece Angustia Existencial

November 17th, 2017

Conde Contemporary is delighted to present, in its Coral Gables location at 204 Miracle Mile, a solo exhibition of New Works, by the iconic Cuban artist, Ruben Torres Llorca.  The exhibition opens on Friday, November 17th at 7:00pm and runs through December 18th.

About the artist... 

"The conceptually based work of Ruben Torres Llorca in which themes images and text are continuously revisited is distinctive in both content and formal qualities.  Graphic style painted depictions of figures, reminiscent of the post World War II era, make reference to the banalities of domestic life.  These "actors" are set against the backdrop of meticulously cut and collaged newspaper snippets, alluding to the recyclable nature intrinsic in his work.  While the artist provides us with clues to help us navigate through this journey, ultimately he demands the viewer to draw their own conclusion."  - Elizabeth Cerejido

"But Ruben Torres Llorca, the resourceful artist-raconteur, knows quite well that words are often far less generous.  He understands, you can even say he regards with a certain sly satisfaction, the extremes of conversation, what lethal weapons words can be, transformed in a lacerating instant into crude but effective weapons, makeshift instruments of wishful fantasies and hapless fury fueled by the spiteful logic of triumph and revenge. 

'Pretend You Are Sane' one of his wall works is titled.  'You Are A Project and A Possibility', another flatly and snarkily declares.  

Torres Llorca has been labeled 'a master of the conceptual swift kick' whose works are 'about as cozy as switchblade thrusts', and perhaps the kindest thing he would say about human intercourse is that we very often use it to hide our true feelings and disguise our bad intentions.

The artist has never shied away from exploring the dissembling, double dealing side of togetherness, and if you root around beneath those second hand, faux nostalgic, plain spoken surfaces of his - if you don't take them at face value, in other words - you might catch him at some furtive business of his own, quoting speciously and making things up, but why no?  As he himself declared in an interview, 'We all tell fairy tales', he most certainly did not mean that in a nice way."  -  Joel Weinstein

The End of the World: Leonid Rotar

The End of the World : Leonid Rotar

Opening : Thursday October 26th from 6-9 pm

COCO | 204 Miracle Mile | Coral Gables, FL

RSVP | 239.961.0452 | info@condecontemporary.com

Exhibition Closes : Friday November 10th

"At 50 years of age, Rotar is too young for a full retrospective, but as an established artist, boldly ignoring the fads of the Noughties, he can allow himself to give something of a summing up of his own personal experience.

The new exhibition identifies a common denominator in his past projects with its purposefully incomplete title: the condensed whittling down of his series “Earth and Heaven”, “Until Tomorrow”, “Don’t Stay Silent”, “Star Shower” fits into an eschatological gallery of magical realism, an archetypal picture of the world on the edge of extinction.

Rotar’s images roam from series to series: rocky landscapes, a vast moon, a boy in a militarized uniform. It is from several of these elements, always located in the mid-ground, that the universe of Leonid Rotar’s painting is constructed, hermetic and non-conformist with regard to the ongoing practise of Russian art. This boy — son of the artist who serves as his model, the similarity in the portraits of the personalities of various pictures again stresses the symbolism of Rotar’s lapidary figurativeness.

Leonid Rotar’s symbols can be grouped into a conditional space that is cramped within the framework of a picture. The focus of attention is always on the shallow mid-ground. The background trails off into eternity where there is no perspective and no space. The foreground, passing beyond the picture’s lower edge, positions itself directly before the spectator. It is a chasm at the edge of which the conditional subject unfolds. We look at it from a little lower down, as one looks up at a statue of an archetypal hero.  Rotar’s archetypal boy is a witness to the destruction of the world, in his figure an individualized emotional experience again becomes universal.

Rotar’s graphic world seems to have been switched off like the light in an abandoned house. The most painstakingly painted details are the folds and stitches of the boy’s clothing, the dents in a stone cross. In protective goggles we see the reflection of shooting stars and, perhaps, the most vital element of the entire exhibition project. The encountering of the last star, the admiring of the red moon, the boy pulling the rope from the chasm — they are monumental and immobile. The pagan force of bodies is deceptive, the eyes are full of an impossible, final color of the moon.  A form abandoned by the soul that shines an uncreated light.

The plane on which the characters are located is very narrow. It is a bridge between the absence of space behind and the chasm before them. This is a very narrow bridge — it is all that remains of the world. When it wears thin and disappears, there will be no forms. Leonid Rotar’s painting is a frozen instant in the transfer from existence to nonexistence.

Yuri Mamleyev, in his last novel, tried to look beyond this last step on earth. “After the End” was nominated for the “NOS” prize, but unfortunately it cannot be counted among the successes of this celebrated author. Leonid Rotar does not look beyond The End Of The World. It is possible that for this reason his visual universe is so stable.

Leonid Rotar personifies a demiurgical type of artist creating an aesthetic universe that, unlike the complex of methods that is specific to each artist, is based on an ethical conception.

Rotar’s ethics are those of the decaying, the wearing away reality. For this reason the landscape in his paintings is mountainous, rocky, almost lunar. It is empty, the fruits of the earth have dried out, there is no air in Rotar’s pictures which

he, overcoming surrealism, paints as if from nature. The magical realism of this painting is put together from a meagre, limited dictionary of forms and shapes, though Leonid Rotar’s own body is invested with a color that prevails over form.

The aggressive cadmium of the falling stars and Rotar’s inhuman moonlight, which doesn’t exist in nature, materializes in the bodies of a new world with the explosion of beautiful despondence that arises at the edge of the end.

This is a decadent universe at the final boundary in the collapse of form. Rotar’s meagre world of images is not even symbolic. The flat heavenly body does not emanate a light onto the colorless lunar landscapes, they are merely empty symbols, the marks of an existence that has departed and will not return. From the symbol has been torn the topsoil covering of mysteries and mystical quirks that came from the decadent 10th years of the 20th century, from the alchemists and dream-readers of pre-industrial Europe. An impotent admiration of fantastical archetypes tinctured the fin de cicle in the dismal tones of decline and they were brushed aside by a real archetype that turned out to be a vital, warlike and illiterate boor. The ground was diligently cleared for it. This fracturing of decadence, its key point at which the transformation of the aesthetic of decay into the ethics of a barbaric will and a cult of strength takes place, can be seen in the texts of Gippius, Chekhov and Junger, the works of Ciurlonis, Vrubel.  Rotar’s decadence is irrevocable, his universe is captured in a point without coordinates, in the never and in the nowhere of the end of the world.

Rotar’s eschatological myth is final and beyond history. It has no gods, no demons, no heroes. It is merely an abstract human figure at the final rising of a dead planet."

- Arseny Shteiner