The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami will present Bruce Weber: Haiti / Little Haiti from November 19, 2010 through February 13, 2011. This extraordinary exhibition of photographs of Miami’s Haitian community by celebrated photographer Bruce Weber is part of MOCA’s Knight Exhibition Series and includes approximately 75 photographs taken by Weber from 2003 to 2010. Bruce Weber: Haiti / Little Haiti is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami and is curated by MOCA Executive Director and Chief Curator Bonnie Clearwater.
In 2003, The Miami Herald published a magazine supplement of Bruce Weber’s photographs of Miami’s Haitian community. The photographs were Weber’s response to an unjust U.S. immigration system in which Haitian men, women and children were detained indefinitely unlike refugees from other countries who were typically released to family or friends while awaiting asylum hearings. The documentary film, The Agronomist, by Jonathan Demme, had been Weber’s call to arms. In it, Demme chronicled the life of Haiti’s most famous journalist, Jean Dominique, the founder of Radio Haiti Internationale, and his murder by unknown assailants in 2000. Incensed by the violence, political strife, and poverty depicted in the film, Weber asked Demme what he could do, and Demme suggested turning his attention to what was happening to Haitians in Miami, where Weber had a home. Compelled to tell the story of the struggle of Haitian immigrants, Weber immersed himself in the Haitian community, which he has continued to chronicle through the present.
Bruce Weber is renowned for revolutionizing fashion photography and the same formal elements that make his fashion and celebrity photographs so forceful contribute to the impact of his Haitian photographs. As Bonnie Clearwater notes, “The strong sense that the figures exist in real space and can be touched, caressed, and embraced makes us feel as though we know or would like to know each of these individuals, and consequently we become concerned with their fate.”
“In his fashion shoots he captures what he sees in the models – beauty, youth, strength. This holds true as well for his Haitian photographs. These images convey what he sees and admires in the Haitian children and adults he photographs, — their strength, pride, resilience, elegance and beauty,” Clearwater said.
Weber chose primarily to work in black-and-white for the project, but switched to color film when photographing Haitian Flag Day celebrations. Over the years he has built up a large archive of photographs of Haitian celebrations, church congregations, Little Haiti stores and boulevards, as well as portraits of individuals, groups, and families. Weber’s presence is welcomed in Miami’s Haitian community.
Miami’s rising Haitian leaders, politicians, artists and entertainers have also posed for Weber. He generally photographed these professionals in their element. The immigration crisis earlier in the decade made it imperative for Haitians to become more visible and influential. In his unique way, Weber has captured images of a dynamic, diverse and evolving community, bringing the Haitian neighborhoods of Miami to a wider international audience.
A catalogue featuring an essay by Bonnie Clearwater, poems by Edwidge Danticat, and writings by Bruce Weber and Alberto Ibarguen, will accompany the exhibition.
Bruce Weber: Haiti / Little Haiti is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami and is curated by MOCA Executive Director and Chief Curator Bonnie Clearwater.
The exhibition is made possible with major support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Media sponsorship is provided by The Miami Herald. The exhibition coincides with Art Basel Miami Beach. Additional support is provided by Irma and Norman Braman.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 770 NE 125th Street, North Miami, FL 33161. For information, please call 305.893.6211 or visit www.mocanomi.org.
EVENTS:
Opening Reception: Bruce Weber: Haiti / Little Haiti
Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Free for MOCA members, North Miami residents, City of North Miami residents and employees; $10 non-members.
RSVP to 305.893.6211 or rsvp@mocanomi.org.
MOCA & Vanity Fair International Party
Tuesday, November 30, 7 – 9 pm
Free for MOCA members, North Miami residents, Art Basel VIPs and Exhibitors; $25 for non-members.
RSVP required to 305.893.6211 or rsvp@mocanomi.org
A Community Conversation About Haiti: Haiti: After the Earthquake
Wednesday, December 15, 7 pm
Get a ground-level view of what’s going on in Haiti right now in a discussion with The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald’s reporters and photographers about the recovery effort and recent elections. Presented by The Miami Herald & El Nuevo Herald
FotoKonbit Panel Discussion
Saturday, January 8, 2 pm
Inspired by the Creole word “konbit,” defined as the coming together of similar talents to find a common goal, FotoKonbit provides Haitians with the opportunity to tell their stories and document their community through photography. Co- Directors Marie Arago and Noelle Theard will lead a discussion on community engagement and self-representation with panelists Jan Mapou, community activist, and Maggie Steber, photographer. A slideshow of FotoKonbit images from the Haitian countryside, Port-au-Prince, and Miami’s Little Haiti will be presented.
Free for MOCA members, North Miami residents; $5 non-members; $3 students with ID.
FILMS AT MOCA
All films are free with museum admission.
MOCA admission is free for MOCA members, North Miami residents, City of North Miami employees, and children under 12; $5 general admission; $3 students with ID.
The Agronomist
Saturday, December 18, 2 pm & Sunday, December 19, 2 pm
Director Jonathan Demme’s profile of Haitian radio journalist and human rights activist Jean Dominique includes historical footage and personal interviews. Dominique was assassinated in April 2000.
Eat For This is My Body
Saturday, January 22, 2 pm
Director Michelange Quay’s first feature film is a poetic telling of the evolution of power in his native Haiti and the colonial relationship between young boys and older women.
Liberty City is Like Paris To Me
Saturday, February 12, 2 pm
Bruce Weber made this short documentary film of Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood in January 2009, capturing the street celebrations of Martin Luther King Day which coincided that year with the inauguration of Barack Obama.
MUSEUM HOURS AND ADMISSION:
MOCA is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm;
Wednesday from 1 pm – 9 pm; and Sunday from noon to 5 pm.
MOCA’s galleries are also open on the last Friday of each month from 7 – 10 pm in conjunction with Jazz at MOCA performances.
Admission is free for MOCA members, North Miami residents and City employees and children under 12; $5 for non-members; $3 for students with ID.
Special Museum Hours during Art Basel Miami Beach:
Wednesday, December 1, 9 am to 9 pm.
Thursday, December 2 – Monday, December 5, 9 am to 5 pm
The mission of the Museum of Contemporary Art is to make contemporary art accessible to diverse audiences–especially under-served populations–by exploring the art of our time and its relationship to a broader cultural context.
MOCA’s Knight Exhibition Series is made possible with major support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Exhibitions and programs at MOCA are made possible through grants from the City of North Miami. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami is accredited by the American Association of Museums.