March 6-June 29, 2008

Life in Mexico City , the world’s third largest megalopolis, has had a profound effect on English-born artist Melanie Smith's work, which reflects the city’s tensions and intrinsic contradictions. Colors, textures, materials and found objects from the urban environment figure prominently in her work, which examines the visual elements of the city in all of its complexity and chaos. The Parres Trilogy ( 2004-2005), with Rafael Ortega, filmed in a small town on the outskirts of Mexico City investigate ways of seeing – each by capturing a scene that is either hidden or uncovered by a “painting.”

Melanie Smith with Rafael Ortega, Still from Parres II, 2004. Courtesy Galería OMR, Mexico and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich.

Melanie Smith with Rafael Ortega: Parres Trilogy, presented by MAC@MAM, is organized by Miami Art Museum and curated by Adjunct Curator Rina Carvajal as part of New Work, a series of projects by leading contemporary artists.

Major support is provided by the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in partnership with Porsche Cars North America.