Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places to Install New Art Piece in Public Library

Miami, FL - "Arc," a new, permanent public art installation by artist Ivan Toth Depeña will be unveiled at the Northeast Dade-Aventura Library, 2930 Aventura Blvd. Aventura, Florida 33180, on September 16, 2015. Commissioned by Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, in collaboration with Miami-Dade County Public Libraries, "Arc" is a stainless steel sculpture created using wind data from Hurricane Wilma to reinterpret the natural force that destroyed the original library on the same site during the storm in 2005.

"This dynamic art work is designed with the idea of providing visitors and employees to the Northeast Dade-Aventura Library a landmark, interactive sculpture," said Michael Spring, Senior Advisor to the Mayor and Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs. "It will animate the campus of the Northeast Dade-Aventura Library and announce the County's commitment to developing services, facilities and works of art of the highest quality and most advanced technology. We are proud that this groundbreaking sculpture will be enjoyed by the citizens of Aventura, North Miami Beach and surrounding communities."

"We are very excited to help bring this symbol of rejuvenation to the city of Aventura," said Miami- Dade Art in Public Places Curator and Artists Manager Brandi Reddick. "As a Miami native that has experienced the destructive impact that a hurricane can have, Ivan understands that the process of rebuilding can be difficult. He is also sensitive to the fact that rejuvenation can come from the very forces that caused destruction. While creating 'Arc,' he became determined to use the natural elements of wind and air to generate a new 'life' on the site and turn the focus towards rebuilding."

The sculpture's lighting will be activated by a wind sensor (anemometer) on the roof of the library. Using a custom hardware and software combination, the wind data information is being used to control the lighting of the work at night. Slower winds equal cooler colors, while stronger winds reach into the warmer spectrum. The wind's direction is subtly revealed through color waves and pulses moving across the sculpture according to the current speed/gusts. The overall effect is a mesmerizing visual representation of an otherwise invisible natural force. In addition, Depeña is creating a mobile application that uses augmented reality to interpret current wind data and overlay real time, curvilinear animations onto the sculpture itself using the camera from a mobile device such as a phone or tablet.

Depeña studied and tested the wind data in various forms prior to choosing the sculpture's curvilinear form. The sculptural form was developed in plan, section and elevation using the wind speed, direction and duration during the block of time that Hurricane Wilma made landfall and passed through the area of the site. The 2-dimensional drawings created during this rigorous process were used subsequently to develop comprehensive, 3-dimensional computer models. The final sculpture was engineered and fabricated directly using the specific computer model that Depeña developed in his studio.

About Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places

Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places is a program of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and is responsible for the commission and purchase of artworks by contemporary artists in all media. One of the first public art programs in the country, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places was established in 1973 with the passage of an ordinance allocating 1.5% of capital cost of new county buildings for the purchase or commission of artworks, educational programs and collection maintenance. The Art Trust Fund is administered by a County Commission-appointed citizens' board, the Art in Public Places Trust, in consultation with its Professional Advisory Committee. For more information about the Art in Public Places Program and the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, please visit www.miamidadepublicart.org and www.miamidadearts.org.

About the Artist

Ivan Toth Depeña is an artist who lives and works in Charlotte, NC and Miami, FL. With a Masters Degree in Architecture from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, Depeña's production as an artist is informed by his experience in art, architecture, technology and design. His studio output includes (and often fuses together) painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, public art, installation, and incorporates a hands on methodology combined with high tech output and fabrication. Depeña's work exemplifies the harmonic moment when various creative disciplines come together seamlessly.

His recent public art projects and exhibitions include, "Reflect," a permanent light-based installation commissioned by Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places, for the Stephen Clark Government Center Lobby in downtown Miami, "You and What Army" at the New Britain Museum of American Art in 2014, "Aesthetics and Values 2011" at the Frost Museum in Miami, "Miami in Transition" at the Miami Art Museum and various group and solo exhibitions throughout the U.S.

His current work includes commissions for several other public projects including a building sized light installation titled "Inside/Out" at the University of New Mexico Pit Athletic Facility, an artificial light waterfall titled "Cascade" in the Reitz Union Expansion at the University of Florida Gainesville Campus. Depeña is also as working on private commissions and the preparation for upcoming museum and gallery exhibitions.

Most recently, Depeña has been awarded a prestigious Knight Arts Challenge Miami Grant for his proposal for a collaborative series of site specific, augmented reality public art projects throughout South Florida, and is a finalist for the prestigious Cintas Fellowship 2014.

For more information about the artist please visit: http://www.ivandepena.com