luis pons floats paper dreams at art basel miami beach

luis pons floats paper dreams at art basel miami beach
image courtesy of bamboobarry outdoor living
photo by moris moreno

drifting in the biscayne bay and celebrating miami’s arresting waterfront views floats ‘paper dreams’ created by local artist and architect luis pons as a site-specific art installation commissioned by the standard for art basel miami beach. taking visual reference from humble folded boats crafted by children, pons’ sculptural ship scales up the classic model; ‘I’ve always been fascinated with the magical world of the child imagination,’ says pons, ‘right before reason takes over and consumerism takes hold‘. 30-feet-long, 15-feet-wide and towering 15 feet above the level of the sea, the structure comprises a sturdy bamboo frame, wires, and a white fabric sail constructed over a barge. occupying its core is a hammam fashioned from wood and lexan — a temporary extension of the neighboring resort’s indoor spa area — that illuminates a beacon-like green glow at night.

‘paper dreams’ floating in the miami beach waterway
image courtesy of bamboobarry outdoor living
photo by moris moreno

‘paper dreams’ expresses the sentiments of innocence, hope, and humility. ‘we’ve all made a modest, simple paper boat,’ explains pons, ‘and we’ve all placed it in the water and watched it moving away, as it carries our wishes in a simple gesture of playfulness and curiosity. I wanted the piece to be connected to something that was grounded in our memories; a modest gesture related to childhood that would stand in opposition to the opulence in which we were living then, and still are, even today. I wanted to create something that would allow us to establish a dialogue and make us reflect on our real needs instead of our artificial needs.’

image courtesy of bamboobarry outdoor living
photo by moris moreno