Marco Gonzalez

The wooden elephants were made 100% from lantana, a weed endangering the habitats of elephants in India

Dec. 2 marked the opening ceremony for the 22nd edition of Miami Art Week, a celebration of art and culture, as well as one of the most anticipated events of the year for art enthusiasts worldwide. Since its debut in 2002, Miami Art Week has become synonymous with the culture of the city and the art-deco style on which Miami Beach was built on. Throughout the week, art enthusiasts and critics enjoyed an array of events, such as the kickoff ceremony, displays across the cities and most famously, the weekend of Art Basel in Miami Beach.

Art Basel has established itself as more than just an art festival, offering music events throughout the city, featuring the world’s best DJs and venues, as well as parties to attend throughout the week. Visitors come from around the world to be apart of the cultural phenomenon, with Miami’s transformation into an amusement park of art and events.

“This year I went to factory town and Art Basel, and they were both such good events that were worth the wait. The weekend of Art Basel really sets up all of these events, and that’s why people come from all over the world to experience them and just to have fun,” senior Mario Miller said.

This year, the most notable piece displayed for Miami Art Week was the wooden elephant sculptures found on Miami Beach. Beach-goers were left confused when they were met with a herd of 100 life-sized wooden elephants, first put on display on Nov. 24. Standing at 10 feet tall, the elephants towered over visitors and accentuated the carved detail of the animals’ facial features.  Further adding to the realism and educational aspect of the display, they were arranged in a herd typical of one of a real elephant migration.

“Living near Miami Beach, I got to see the wooden elephants right when they got put up along with all the other displays they put up on the beach. I think that’s the best possible place they could have put the piece, with the beach being one of the most popular places in Miami, meaning that a lot of people are going to be able to see it,” sophomore Carlos Londono said.

“The Great Elephant Migration” is a concept sculpture made completely from Lantana, an invasive shrub which has terrorized India’s forests and biodiversity, displacing animals such as elephants and tigers native to India. By removing the weed from India’s forests and converting it into an art display, the sculpture is able to raise awareness about invasive foliage, as well as create a unique piece of art which attracts many.

“The elephants got put up on the beach about a few weeks before Miami Art Week and I think they’re such a great addition to the event. A lot of people have been talking about them, and it clearly brought attention to the cause that they represent in a unique and nice to look at way,” junior Mara Olivares said.

Prior to its arrival in Miami,”The Great Elephant Migration”  made stops in other parts of the world, notably London, Bangalore and New York City. In each city, people were blown away by the sculptures and moved by the cause and issue they represent.

“I really like all the modern art, and I kind of prefer it over traditional realism art that you might see in historic art museums. It’s probably that modern art is more outside of the box and creative and something that you could put in your home and make a lot more interesting,” junior Andres Espinosa said.

As for the weekend of Art Basel, it was held in its usual venue of the Miami Beach convention center. The building was covered in the modern art and art-deco style, classic of the event, with decorations put up matching the pieces. Artworks were displayed in a gallery within the convention center, while other three dimensional pieces could be found in exhibits outside. Art lovers interacted with the event by purchasing pieces to give their own home a touch of Art Basel.