‘Manolo Valdes: The Legacy’ Arrives To Doral
A Monumental Outdoor Exhibition
By: Edda Pujadas
For the artist Manolo Valdés, street exhibits, especially in this time of pandemic, brighten up people’s lives and give them access to art
“Doral will become an artistic reference”. With these words, artist Manolo Valdés spoke about his exhibit, which will take place in public spaces around our city, starting in December and for the next six months.
“Manolo Valdés: The Legacy” is a monumental outdoor exhibition of this artist’s sculptures. This exhibit has been organized by the Doral Museum of Contemporary Art (DORCAM), and it also has the support of the City of Doral. It will include an outstanding selection of more than a dozen of his sculptures. They will be distributed around the City of Doral so all the residents and visitors will be able to enjoy them.
The renowned sculptor Manolo Valdés expressed great enthusiasm for this exhibition, as he considers that during this pandemic, outdoor activities take on greater value. “The possibility of having a museum on the street makes people happy, it’s fun and makes people interested in art.”
Valdés also mentioned that this exhibit is of great importance to Doral because it will be the gateway to other outdoor activities and artists. “This should not be an isolated event that disappears with time, it is important to create continuity and keep on with the efforts to bring art closer to the people.”
To Manolo Valdés, to exhibit his works in Doral has been a very important decision and he is thankful for the hard work of the Doral Museum of Contemporary Art in combination with Lázaro Valdés, who has been his smelter for three years. Lázaro Valdés has more than 19 years producing works of art in his workshop located in Doral; he is passionate about this sculptor, so he was a key piece in the programming of this exhibit.
THE EXHIBIT
“Manolo Valdés: The Legacy” will open in time for the celebration of “Miami Art Week”. It will open with a free public event in Doral Central Park, on Saturday, December 5th of this year at 11:00 am. This event will count with the participation of Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez and the rest of the Councilmembers of the City of Doral.
This art exhibit will be open until June 2021. It will include a series of programs that will be organized around the exhibit throughout the time it is open, these activities include guided tours, educational programs for Doral students, workshops and public conferences, photography contests, performances, and the publication of a special edition book, among others.
This exhibit brings a new connotation to the word “street”, as these sculptures will be installed in the street, this will allow for everyone to have free access to them. These will be installed in the main public parks around the city, Doral Central Park, Downtown Doral Park, MAU Park, Morgan Levy Park, Doral Legacy Park, and Doral Glades Park will be included in this exhibit together with some other selected locations.
The timing for this exhibit could not be better, considering that public art is nowadays one of the safest ways to enjoy art given the current global health conditions. In addition, it promises to have a positive economic impact for local businesses because of the large number of people it will attract.
For Mayor Juan Carlos Bermúdez, it is an honor for Doral to have been selected as the host of such a historic art event. “This year we do not have Art Basel due to COVID-19, there is a lot of people looking for ways to interact and appreciate art in a safe way. This is a great opportunity to offer this and bring our residents and visitors from everywhere to our thriving city.”
“This exhibit is a sign that we continue to make progress and is not only important for the City of Doral, but also for the entire Miami-Dade County. We are bringing global art to our region and this will be an opportunity for the whole world to focus its gaze on Doral,” added Mayor Bermúdez.city
Mayor Bermúdez emphasized the importance of the exposure that this exhibit will bring us, as a growing community. “Now Doral will be part of the cities that are an artistic and cultural reference. Globally we will be perceived as a municipality with an integral and sustainable development, with a solid economy and a wonderful park system, a place where people can invest their money.”
Marcello Llobell, co-founder and manager of DORCAM and who has been one of the people who has made this exhibit possible, says that this exhibit will bring much joy to the residents of Doral, in a year in which good news have been scarce. “I’m sure it will also attract many visitors, bringing with it a great cultural and economic impact.”
“To create an exhibit on the streets at this time of global crisis is definitely a challenge. A challenge that we are taking on with great enthusiasm, because we are proud that the community of Doral and everyone who visits us can see up close the work of a world-class artist, whose works have been exhibited in cities such as Dubai, Seoul, Rome, Paris, New York, Valencia and Barcelona, to name just a few.” Llobell stressed.
Flor Mayoral, who is also a co-founder and member of DORCAM, noted that “Manolo Valdés: The Legacy” will be one of the greatest exhibits of this world-famous contemporary artist. She is very appreciative of the support that the City of Doral has provided and that has been fundamental in bringing this project to fruition.
Mayoral considers that the scale of this urban exhibit, by one of the most influential artists of our time, will transform the City of Doral and Miami Dade County into living spaces and it will place us at the same cultural level of the other big cities in the world where this artist has also exhibit his work. She also highlighted that the Miami Dade Cultural Affairs Department has also provided additional support to this exhibit.
MANOLO VALDES: BRINGING ART TO PEOPLE
Manolo Valdés, was born in Valencia, Spain in 1942. Since he was very young, he demonstrated competence in art, and is currently one of the most recognized contemporary artists, internationally speaking. He is considered a multidimensional and masterful artist in media such as painting, mixed technique, and sculpture.
He currently resides in New York and is recognized as the promotor in Spain of a form of artistic expression that combines political and social commitment with humor and irony. He has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, and he has represented his homeland at the 1999 Venice Biennale.
His individual exhibits include prestigious galleries and museums around the world, including the Guggenheim in New York, the Hirschhorn in Washington, and multiple art capitals such as London, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Seoul, Istanbul, The Hague, and Monaco, among others. His current foray into street exhibits, encouraged by the purpose of bringing art to people, is also worth noting.
DORAL ART MUSEUM
The Doral Museum of Contemporary Art (DORCAM)) is a catalyst for learning, creativity, and community building through exhibits and events that emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to art, architecture, visionary design, industry, and technology.
Marcelo Llobell explains that the mission of the museum is to create a concept that integrates artists and audiences through the presentation of contemporary art in a way that highlights what it means to be a citizen of both Doral and the world. By integrating industry and art, we are producing contemporary exhibits, educational programs, community associations, and economic initiatives.
“I started with the idea of the art museum for Doral eight years ago and in 2017 I presented the project to the City of Doral, getting all its support. We act as a non-profit organization and even when we are a museum of contemporary art, we go beyond the traditional artistic manifestations, such as painting and sculpture, because we cover all disciplines of architecture, design, visual arts, technology, photography and videos.”
“The concept of our museum is inspired by the Bauhaus movement that began in 1919 in Weimar, Germany, and is characterized by linking art with everyday life,” says Llobell. “So we thought, Doral has such a wide industrial sector that we can do something extremely creative, and so we started mixing these sectors to achieve an innovative result.”
Under this idea, DORCAM has held more than 30 exhibitions, working with different artists and rotary curators. “We don’t have a physical headquarters yet for the museum, we are looking for an ideal place for our concept. A simple warehouse or industrial building with space for multiple uses.”
You can find DORCAM on social media under @doralmuseum and its website is http://www.dorcam.org/.