Commuter Biennial Brings Public Art to Miami's Margins

Optimistic about the potential for art to transform the grind of suburban life, the tedium of public transit and the boring daily drive, Miami’s Commuter Biennial aspires to draw our gaze from the center to the fringe—suggesting that art belongs to everyone, everywhere, in this metropolis.

Local curators Laura Randall and Courtney Levine organized an inventive set of art experiences for those who spend hours navigating the city in cars, busses and trains. Over the span of four months, ten public art projects will be realized across Miami-Dade County to activate the unseen margins of this suburban landscape.

Two of the participating artists join Randall and Levine to introduce The Commuter Biennial. Artist Lily Martina Lee lives and works in Boise, Idaho. Lee’s art juxtaposes intimacy and anonymity—pointing out how forensic crime scene investigations have become embedded in our everyday reality. For her commuter-centered project, she creates public memorials in locations where unidentified human remains were found.

Since 2005, New York based artist Marie Lorenz has navigated waterways in her handmade boats designed to optimize tidal currents. Her passengers are privileged with intimate experiences on the water. For the roving biennial, she brings her Tide and Current Taxi to Miami.

View Commuter Biennial projects in our photo gallery.

Sound Editor: Anamnesis Audio | Special Audio: Tide and Current Taxi, Miami, courtesy The Commuter Biennial | Photography: The Commuter Biennial