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“Into the Everglades” is back on the Miami skyline!
From January through March 2022, one of the most recognizable buildings on Miami’s skyline will be transformed as InterContinental Miami lights up with visions of panthers, birds, and other creatures that call Florida home, as part of a large new video installation that was first presented in November by Miami-based artist, Carlos Betancourt. Adapting characteristics from his Cut-Out Series (2009-2010), and his Re-Collections Series (2003-ongoing), Betancourt’s new installation, Into The Everglades, features silhouettes of Florida's most recognizable wildlife. Leading up to the Aspen Ideas Conference on Miami Beach in March, the work could not be more timely, capping a year of unprecedented achievements in wildlife conservation for the State of Florida.
Betancourt’s exuberant imagery in this installation reflects how one's immediate surroundings, in this case the Everglades, can serve as a muse (inspiration) to artists, while it is also meant to highlight the vital need to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The “Florida Wildlife Corridor” refers to a vital network of inland scrub, palmetto prairies, riparian forests, and other necessary habitats for some of the state's most at-risk species. Referred to as “The spine of Florida”, this collection of existing public parks and working lands like rural ranches and timberlands, is a top priority for statewide conservation. Protecting and enhancing these lands will increase the survival chances for the Florida Panther, and countless other species like otters, manatees, alligators, and snail kites.
Carlos Betancourt’s work often takes inspiration from his relationship with nature, using at times kaleidoscopic imagery and lush, flamboyant compositions, to depict the flora and fauna of Florida and the Caribbean in transformative ways. Into the Everglades is put together through a process of collage that Betancourt uses throughout his works, uniting iconography from disparate sources. It is through this symbolic layering that collage becomes ecological, as all parts of the composition build upon each other. In this artwork, Betancourt makes visible the deep interconnection between contrasting visual references, in a way that reflects the interdependence of Miami’s urban core and it’s surrounding ecosystems. The Florida Panther, and the Miami Skyline, are two of the most recognizable icons in Florida and Betancourt brings both together in Into the Everglades to remind locals of the rich biodiverse community they are an integral part of.
“Into the Everglades” is back on the Miami skyline!
From January through March 2022, one of the most recognizable buildings on Miami’s skyline will be transformed as InterContinental Miami lights up with visions of panthers, birds, and other creatures that call Florida home, as part of a large new video installation that was first presented in November by Miami-based artist, Carlos Betancourt. Adapting characteristics from his Cut-Out Series (2009-2010), and his Re-Collections Series (2003-ongoing), Betancourt’s new installation, Into The Everglades, features silhouettes of Florida's most recognizable wildlife. Leading up to the Aspen Ideas Conference on Miami Beach in March, the work could not be more timely, capping a year of unprecedented achievements in wildlife conservation for the State of Florida.
Betancourt’s exuberant imagery in this installation reflects how one's immediate surroundings, in this case the Everglades, can serve as a muse (inspiration) to artists, while it is also meant to highlight the vital need to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The “Florida Wildlife Corridor” refers to a vital network of inland scrub, palmetto prairies, riparian forests, and other necessary habitats for some of the state's most at-risk species. Referred to as “The spine of Florida”, this collection of existing public parks and working lands like rural ranches and timberlands, is a top priority for statewide conservation. Protecting and enhancing these lands will increase the survival chances for the Florida Panther, and countless other species like otters, manatees, alligators, and snail kites.
Carlos Betancourt’s work often takes inspiration from his relationship with nature, using at times kaleidoscopic imagery and lush, flamboyant compositions, to depict the flora and fauna of Florida and the Caribbean in transformative ways. Into the Everglades is put together through a process of collage that Betancourt uses throughout his works, uniting iconography from disparate sources. It is through this symbolic layering that collage becomes ecological, as all parts of the composition build upon each other. In this artwork, Betancourt makes visible the deep interconnection between contrasting visual references, in a way that reflects the interdependence of Miami’s urban core and it’s surrounding ecosystems. The Florida Panther, and the Miami Skyline, are two of the most recognizable icons in Florida and Betancourt brings both together in Into the Everglades to remind locals of the rich biodiverse community they are an integral part of.