July 7 – November 21, 2023

Into the Great Dying: Roles We Play by ceramicist Beatriz Chachamovits is the final installation in a three-part series that invites viewers to engage with an interactive coral reef.

With much discussion centered on how human beings have contributed to damaging the fragile ecosystems, this installation instead encourages audiences to participate in rebuilding a reef. The tactile experience of holding replicas of at-risk local coral species aims to create a grounding experience for visitors, encouraging them to take a mindful approach to the rapidly shifting climate.

The artist, focusing on coral native to the area, has hand-casted hundreds of pieces that when assembled by visitors shapes a representation of the South Florida reef system. The five species selected by the artist – Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis), Elkhorn (Acropora palmata), Brain (Diploria labyrinthiformis), Pillar (Dendrogyra cylindricus) and Sea Fan (Gorgonia ventalina) coral – range in shape and size, reflecting the local biodiversity. Each one is common to the area and is either at risk of extinction or used for restoration endeavors such as coral nurseries.

Over several years, Chachamovits has blended her practice in ceramics and drawing with teaching, bridging a gap between visual art and science. Paired with video content featuring Miami-based marine scientists and ecological teaching-activists, this interactive installation encourages new ways of confronting the climate crisis. After decades of ominous warnings and heightened fear about the state of the planet, this body of work offers a different perspective: what can we build together?

Participate in the installation and build the reef in MOCA’s Paradise Courtyard. Explore the different forms and be creative with your placement. Help us protect the artwork by handling the corals with care.

About the Artist:

Beatriz Chachamovits is an environmental artist and educator from São Paulo, Brazil living and working in Miami, Florida. Her work brings to life the unsettling reality of our declining coral reef ecosystems, revealing the role humans play in this narrative. Her intention is to share the majestic beauty of at-risk marine ecologies as well as the appalling rate of their destruction. She works with ceramic sculptures and drawings to highlight the unique shape, form and texture that exists in the underwater world. Selected solo exhibitions include “White Sea” at Galeria Tato in São Paulo, Brazil (2017) Into the Great Dying: Waters We Share” at Faena Art Project Room(2022) “Reversing the Tides of Change” at the Frost Science Museum (2022). Additionally, Chachamovits has participated in numerous group exhibitions including at the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro, “Coral Expedition: 1865 – 2018” (2018), Art and Cultural Center of Hollywood “C[h]oral Stories and Collective Actions” (2022), No Vacancy, Temporary Public Art Projects and Juried Art Competition (2022) and FAU University Galleries “SouthXEast Triennial (2023). She was a grant recipient for the Underwater Museum of Art of Florida where she placed a permanent sculpture in their underwater sculpture garden as an artificial reef, and is currently a resident artist at The Bakehouse Art Complex in Wynwood, Miami.

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