Ernesto Oroza’s Archetype Vizcaya

Ernesto Oroza
Archetype Vizcaya
March 4 – May 29, 2011

3251 South Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33129

vizcaya.org

Ernesto Oroza’s Archetype Vizcaya marks the highly anticipated return of the Contemporary Arts Project to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. The Contemporary Arts Project (CAP) is a commission program that invites artists to develop site-specific projects inspired by Vizcaya, a historic house museum and National Historic Landmark located in Miami, Florida. Archetype Vizcaya will be on view from March 4 through May 29, 2011 at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Archetype Vizcaya explores what happens when things are taken from their original context and given new purpose or meaning. Ernesto Oroza has created a “map” that invites visitors to discover things generally unseen. Through a provisional gallery on plexiglass, he challenges us to question what is original or authentic. And, in a compilation of amateur videos for the Web, Oroza shows how Vizcaya is “used” or appropriated by its visitors.

Ernesto Oroza is an interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on conceptual design and architecture. The notion of archetype is central to Oroza’s investigation of material culture and brings to the surface issues of cultural hybridization, adaptation and reinvention. A native of Cuba and a Miami resident, Oroza received a Cintas Fellowship in 2008 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2007. His work has been exhibited in museums, galleries and cultural spaces nationally and internationally.

The Contemporary Arts Project (CAP) reinvigorates Vizcaya with the creative dialogue that characterized the estate’s foundation, engaging artists whose practice establishes a discourse or critique with the physical and cultural contexts of the place. In addition to Ernesto Oroza’s project, Vizcaya has commissioned site-specific work from Naomi Fisher, Francesco Simeti and Josiah McElheny throughout 2011 and 2012.

About Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Built by businessman James Deering in 1916, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a National Historic Landmark, features a Main House, ten acres of formal gardens, a hardwood hammock, and soon-to-be-restored historic village that will provide additional venues for programs and community outreach. Located at 3251 South Miami Avenue, Vizcaya is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Visit www.vizcayamuseum.org or call 305-250-9133 or 305-860-8423 for more information.

Media Contacts
Susan Caraballo, CAP Producer
305-860-8423
786-663-6740 (Cell)
susan.caraballo@vizcayamuseum.org
OR
Holly Blount, Marketing Director
holly.blount@vizcayamuseum.org
305-860-8451