R&R is a mural created in 2022 by artist Nina Chanel Abney, an African American contemporary artist…read moreand painter. Abney was born in Illinois and currently works out of New York. She received an MFA in 2007 from the Chicago Art Institute and the Parsons School of Design. Abney is best known for colorful graphic large-scale paintings. Race, gender, pop culture, homophobia, and politics are common themes in her work. In September 2018, Abney curated a group exhibition highlighting current socio-political issues at the Jeffery Deitch gallery entitled Punch. The exhibition called upon current socio-political issues and featured art by Abney herself and some of her close friends.
R&R was commissioned by Miami Worldcenter as part of its 5 million dollar Worldcenter public art program outdoor museum. Miami Worldcenter is a 27 acre, 4 billion dollar mixed use center with retail, luxury condos, hotels, public art and restaurants. It one of the largest private real-estate developments in the United States.
The outdoor art museum is overseen by art dealer Jeffrey Deitch and Primary, a Miami-based curatorial collective that focuses on public art. This public art program was unveiled during Miami Art Week and the 20th anniversary of Art Basel Miami Beach. All of the art work chosen by Deitch depicts people so the viewer can relate and connect to the artwork.
R&R uses graphic figures, bold color planes, and musical notes inspired by Overtown, a historic Black neighborhood in Miami. Overtown was incorporated as a colored neighborhood in 1896 during segregation. It was the place where Henry Flagler's black railroad workers lived while building the infrastructure of Miami. Overtown is the second oldest neighborhood in Miami. During the 1920's, it was home to D.A. Dorsey, one of the first black millionaires in the south. After WWII it became the epicenter of black culture and was known as the Broadway of the South. Many famous entertainers stayed here when performing in Miami like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole. In the 1950's, the area suffered an economic decline and in the 1960's many residents were displaced by the construction of I-95.
R&R is meant to remind people that gentrification has erased the rich cultural heritage of many primarily black neighborhoods. About her mural Abney has said "The impact of gentrification is greatly felt in its tendency to displace and erase the lives and legacies of Black and poor people. Few Black communities have been able to survive the political decisions and economic trends that exploit the cultural desirability of these often (but not always) already disenfranchised neighborhoods. In some cases only remnants of these communities remain, and this is after archival excavation. I created a pictorial language to depict a speculative narrative that investigates community 'renewals' and subsequent removals. The mural location, a tunnel formed by the dark passageway under the building, inspired me to consider the recognition of sacred spaces with story. I hope to spark a dialogue around gentrification and encourage a curiosity amongst viewers to engage with and learn about the previous and adjacent neighborhoods."
This is a thought provoking piece and a great addition to the outdoor art museum at Miami Worldcenter.
