‘ON THE EDGE OF LIGHT’ opens in Miami

A group exhibition of Tina Spiro, Janet Slom, Paul Stoppi, Fernando Calzadilla, Yasmin Spiro, Prof. Hans Evers and selected sculpture students of DASH. Curated by Arthur Dunkelman and Tina Spiro.

Opening Reception: Tuesday November 29
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Maor Gallery
3030 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, Florida
(adjacent to Midtown Miami, venue for Art Miami, Scope, and other major art fairs)

On view November 29 – January 31 

With special programming during Art Basel and Miami Art Week 2012

“Darkness, no matter how ominous and intimidating, is not a thing or force: it is merely the absence of light. So light need not combat and overpower darkness in order to displace it — where light is, darkness is not. A thimbleful of light will therefore banish a roomful of darkness.”
– Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, inspired by teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Maor presents ON THE EDGE OF LIGHT, a multi-media exhibition exploring five artists’ interpretation of different qualities of light through site-specific installations and paintings both inside and outside Maor Gallery.

Each artist has explored different qualities and manifestations of light. Using diverse media, they interpret a flickering light of memory, an inner glow of meditation, light as it is refracted in the sky, and the velocity of light through an illuminated streetscape.

Tina Spiro’s oil paintings depict great human endeavors and folly within the context of climate change and the spectacular cosmic beauty of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, superimposed on vast landscapes. Janet Slom’s heroic abstract paintings embody light from within and Paul Stoppi’s illuminated cloud challenges concepts of positive and negative space. Fernando Calzadilla presents an outdoor “sky panel” installation. Yasmin Spiro has created a site-specific interpretation of her acclaimed video installation, “Tracks.”

The streetscape “dance of light” is being created by selected sculpture students of DASH, Professor Hans Evers will oversee the development and construction of their outdoor project which will delight drivers and visitors throughout Art Basel.

This luminescent show will run through the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, known as the Festival of Lights. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the defeat of the Greek army in 166 BCE. The ritual oil used to light a seven branched candelabra – or menorah – was damaged, leaving only enough for a single day. Miraculously, it burned for eight days and that ancient miracle is still celebrated today.

Arthur Dunkelman, of the Jay I. Kislak Foundation, has previously curated exhibitions including “The Enchantress: Emma, Lady Hamilton” at the Grolier Club in New York [2011] and “Exploring the Early Americas,” an ongoing exhibit at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Co-curator Tina Spiro founded the Miami-based Miart Foundation to foster local art development, with a new initiative to link Miami to its artistic Caribbean neighbors.

ON THE EDGE OF LIGHT Art Basel Week Events:
Tuesday 11/29, 7pm — 9pm: ON THE EDGE OF LIGHT Opening Reception
Friday 12/02, 5pm – 7pm: A TASTE OF SHABBAT
Saturday 12/03, 6:30pm – 10pm: ON THE EDGE OF LIGHT Gallery Walk
Wednesday12/21, 7pm – 9pm: Maor’s Chanukah Celebration
Extended Gallery Hours during Art Basel Week 2011
Wednesday 11/30 & Thursday 12/1: 10am – 9pm
Friday 12/2: 10am – 7pm
Saturday 12/02: 6:30pm – 10pm
Sunday 12/4: 12pm – 4pm

For more information visit maormiami.com