Gabi On The Go: Bike & Art

The day started with a beautiful short walk on the beach.

It was still early, the beach was still quiet and it was not too hot yet.

A photoshoot here.

A selfie there.

I just thought this was an interesting architecture decision: a suspended gigantic egg in an alley. (?)

I decided to take advantage of the beautiful and sunny day to bike around, so the Art Deco tour will have to wait. But here is a little taste of this Miami unique architecture.

I rented a bike from Citibike service (US$18 for 4 hours) and started biking around towards the mainland, until this Lichtenstein piece caught my eyes.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaid_(Roy_Lichtenstein)

Mermaid (sometimes The Mermaid) is a 1979 outdoor sculpture by Roy Lichtenstein, composed of concrete, steel, polyurethane, enamel, palm tree, and water. It is located in Miami Beach at the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. Measuring 640 cm × 730 cm × 330 cm (252 in × 288 in × 132 in), it is his first public art commission according to some sources, although others point to a temporary pavilion that predates this work. It is also the second piece of public art in the city of Miami Beach. Since the sculpture was installed, it has been restored several times, and the theater that it accompanies has been restored and renamed twice.

I love the details on the buildings down here.

I took the Venetian Bridge across to the mainland. It has a bike lane all the way, and a fantastic view of the houses at the marina.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_Causeway

The Venetian Causeway crosses Biscayne Bay between Miami on the mainland and Miami Beach on a barrier island in south Florida. The man-made Venetian Islands and non-bridge portions of the causeway were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the original route of the Collins Bridge, a wooden 2.5 mi (4 km) long structure built in 1913 by John S. Collins and Carl G. Fisherwhich opened up the barrier island for unprecedented growth and development.

It took me about 40 minutes biking - stoping sometimes for pictures and view appreciating - to arrive at the Wynwood neighbourhood.

The Wynwood Art District was on top of my list of places to visit in Miami.

This is probably the coolest area in the city.

To get there, though, I biked through not so nice streets, with abandoned buildings, most of them for sale. I felt safe, but this is a sketchy area for sure.

For blocks and blocks before arriving at the Wynwood Walls, there are graffiti art everywhere, including on the sidewalks. The place is pretty rundown, but this building being constructed shows that it won't be like that for much longer. This area will, for sure, be revitalized in the near future.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wynwood_Art_District

The Wynwood Art District Association was founded in early 2003 by a group of art dealers, artists and curators Mark Coetzee, Nina Arias and Nick Cindric. Mark Coetzee initiated the idea based on a similar project, Art Night, which he started in his hometown, Cape Town, South Africa. Founding members at the first meeting in Rocket Projects media room were Brook Dorsch of Dorsch Gallery, Weston Charles, Cooper and Elizabeth Withstandley of Locust Projects, Mark Coetzee of the Rubell Collection, Nina Arias and Nick Cindric of Rocket Projects, Bernice Steinbaum of Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, and Marina Kessler of Marina Kessler Gallery. The association created the Second Saturdays Gallery Walk, designed the Manhole cover logo along with the light banners that hang on street corners, and publishes annual brochures with a map and a list of the association's members.

It was once home to over 70 galleries, five museums, three collections, seven art complexes, 12 art studios, five art fairs, and the Wynwood Walls. Gentrification and rising rent prices have pushed out most of the smaller galleries. In 2018, less than ten galleries remain.

Frida Khalo.

Bob Dylan.

David Bowie.

A very powerful mural.

The Wynwood Walls in a kind of open air art gallery, filled with murals of well-know street artists.

The Wynwood Walls were created in 2009 by the late Tony Goldman in an effort to develop the area's pedestrian potential. Goldman bought his first building in Wynwood in 2004, and owned nearly two dozen properties by 2008. Artists from around the world have contributed to the Wynwood Walls. The Walls have been covered by media such as the New York Times and the BBC bringing international attention to the destination. It was also featured in the docu-series entitled Here Comes the Neighborhood. The Walls have expanded to include murals outside the neighborhood, including Outside the Walls which features art covering entire buildings. In 2010, Goldman added the Wynwood Doors to highlight smaller artists. Curbed listed Wynwood Walls as among the 16 most Instagrammable places in US cities in 2018.

Every second Saturday of each month, a community-wide art walk is held. Galleries, art studios, alternative spaces and showrooms open their doors to the public for art, music and refreshments.

Inside the walls, you can purchase a piece of art from some of these artists... if you are ok to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Here are some of my favourites:

Kobra's Picasso - US$ 32 thousand.

For more on the Wynwood Walls, here is their website: http://www.thewynwoodwalls.com.

The area around the walls is fun, of cafes, restaurantes, shops and galleries. It's worth a walk around, outside the Wynwood Walls.

I love this piece from one of the galleries around there: "In case of brokenness break glass."

Taco Coyo - still in Wynwood area - was highly recommended by a friend in Toronto.

Very good!

From Wynwood, I biked south to downtown Miami. Just beside the port, there is a shopping area called Bayside. It's a nice little place for more affordable souvenirs, gifts and food.