MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A nonprofit hopes a plan for environmental artwork will create a new identity for Miami Beach as a place for eco-tourism.
It’s working to enhance our marine ecosystem by building a seven-mile-long live reef colonized by new corals fastened to submerged artworks by some of the world’s most renowned artists.
Phase 1 just started Monday off the coast near Fourth Street and Ocean Drive.
A large crane submerged the sculpture of a car by acclaimed contemporary artist Leandro Erlich, the first of what will be a 22-car underwater installation called “Concrete Coral.”
“It is actually better than I imagined, the artist is such a genius,” said Reefline founder and artistic director Ximena Caminos.
The project promises to bring new life into our marine ecosystem, which is soon to be seeded with 2,200 corals, transforming the artwork into a living reef.
“I can’t decide if want to cry, scream, jump for joy,” said Reefline executive director Brandi Reddick. “This has been five years in the making and it is incredible to see this come to life.”
The underwater traffic jam of cars is made of marine-grade concrete.
It’s described as a poetic reversal of the effect actual cars have on our environment.
“It is a new site for eco-tourism, it is using art as a tool for change, it is taking public art to the next level,” said Reddick. “This can be accessed from the shore. You can snorkel, you can kayak, you can paddle board out, and I love the accessibility of it.”
Added Caminos: “This is something that I think about a lot. We are in the middle of a man-made problem, so man made solutions can solve the problem. Why can’t we come together for planet earth and help this planet?”
She added that visitors should explore safely since the project is beyond the swim buoy.
“We want to create a no boating zone, but until that happens, people need to be careful,” she said. “It is not that far out, it is about 800-feet from the coast, 20 feet deep, so it is a swim. You can snorkel it, you can paddle board there, it will definitely be colonized very quickly.”
Reefline, which works with artists and scientists to restore coastal ecosystems, commissioned Erlich.
Back in 2019 during Miami Art Week, the city of Miami Beach commissioned Erlich for a site-specific installation of a surreal traffic jam on the oceanfront at Lincoln Road called Order of Importance, which featured 66 life-siized sculptures of cars which appeared to be rising up from the sand.
“Climate change and its consequences are no longer a matter of perspective or opinion,” Erlich said at the time. “The climate crisis has become an objective problem that requires immediate solutions. We cannot shrink away from our responsibilities to protect the planet.”
Concrete Coral was funded, in part, by a $5 million arts and culture general obligation bond that was approved by Miami Beach voters in 2022, according to Reefline.
“It was a conversation with (Reefline director of science) Colin Ford,” said Caminos. “First of all, it was so beautiful to see the cars on the beach (in 2019) and to take them away kind of broke our heart, so we decided to give them an afterlife.”
At each phase, Reefline says it plans to unveil new commissioners by leading international artists that they say will be “transforming the seabed into a place of culture and biological discovery,” which they also hope will create a, “dynamic model for coastal cities facing the realities of climate change.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH PHASE
Phase 1: ‘Concrete Coral’ by Leandro Erlich, 2025
Phase 2: ‘The Miami Reef Star’ by Carlos Bentancourt & Alberto Latorre, 2026
Phase 2: ‘Heart of Okeanos’ by Petroc Sesti, 2026
Phase 3: Blue Arts Award: A global commission for a new hybrid reef sculpture at ReefLine to be announced during Miami Art Week in December
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