The CONTEMPORARY ARTS PROJECT (CAP) is a commission program that invites artists to develop site-specific work inspired by Vizcaya, a public museum and National Historical Landmark. The program is intended to reinvigorate Vizcaya with the creative exchange that characterized its foundation, engaging artists whose practice can establish a dialogue or a critique with the physical and cultural contexts of the place.

From sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder, who created the striking figures that adorn the barge, to painters John Singer Sargent and Gari Melchers, who were extended house guests of Vizcaya's owner, James Deering, the estate has been a source of inspiration to artists since its very inception. Through the Contemporary Arts Project (CAP), Vizcaya continues Deering's patronage by reaching out to the artistic community-both locally and nationally-to offer artists the opportunity to explore our resources and interpret them in new ways.

Each year two artists are invited by an advisory committee to immerse themselves in Vizcaya's grounds and collections and create work in response to that experience.

FRANCESCO SIMETI
A seahorse a caravel  and large quantities of concrete, stone, fill, topsoil,
tiles, piping, trees and other plants
February 24 - May 21, 2012

Francesco Simeti’s A seahorse, a caravel and large quantities of concrete, stone, fill, topsoil, tiles, piping, trees and other plants is the winter/spring exhibition of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens’ Contemporary Arts Project (CAP). The exhibition will be on view from February 24 through May 21, 2012. New York-based artist Francesco Simeti transforms one of Vizcaya’s outdoor fountains into a surreal theatrical set, providing a playful and melancholic commentary on the fragility of human endeavors. Inspired by the mechanical apparatuses that simulated natural phenomena in Baroque gardens, Simeti’s animated assemblage is composed of floating sculptures representing elements of the estate. The project continues in the Main House exhibition room with an installation of historic artifacts pulled from storage and on display for the first time ever.

Francesco Simeti is best known for his wallpapers—collages that introduce politically and socially charged images from the mass-media into the private sphere of the home. At the core of Simeti’s work is the investigation of nature and artifice, from Renaissance and Baroque garden architecture to the manufactured lures used to hunt living animals. Simeti is currently working on several permanent projects for New York City’s public schools and subway system, and has created site specific installations for the MACRO (Rome), Rhode Island School of Design Museum (Providence), Art & Idea Gallery (Mexico City) and Columbia University (New York City). His work has been exhibited in the United States and Europe including the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (Bologna), Musée de Design et d'Arts Appliqués Contemporains (Lausanne) and the Institute of Contemporary Art (Philadelphia). His wallpapers are part of the collection at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (New York City), the Victoria and Albert Museum (London), and the Fabric Workshop and Museum (Philadelphia). 

In addition to Francesco Simeti’s project, Vizcaya has commissioned site-specific work from Ernesto Oroza, Naomi Fisher and Josiah McElheny throughout 2011 and 2012.

For those traveling long distance to see A seahorse, a caravel and large quantities of concrete, stone, fill, topsoil, piping, trees and other plants, Mayfair Hotel & Spa is pleased to offer preferred hotel rates. For reservations, please call 1-800-433-4555 and ask for the Vizcaya Visitors rate by using code VIZ3039.

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