1. Denis Rodriguez & Leonardo Remor / A Ponte

single channel video
A Ponte documents a series of handmade floats used to transport cars and people
across Barra do Cunhaú, a delta in Rio Grande do Norte that is equidistant between the
regional capitals of Natal and João Pessoa, in lieu of a bridge or road. The artists prompted the
float captains to link up and form an “ephemeral bridge” that only existed during filming. This
modular system has international application for emergencies, coastal cities, and could be
utilized as a successful strategy in South Florida as incidents of flooding increase and roads are
rendered unnavigable. A Ponte champions the resiliency of the human spirit, ingenuity out of
necessity, and the importance of Doityourself mentality.

2. Denis Rodriguez / Reflecting Pool
laminated inkjet prints
These eight photographs were all taken by Rodriguez using Google Earth Pro. The artist
essentially traveled the globe for approximately 300 hours over the course of 100 days via
Google Earth in an attempt to better understand port city infrastructure and surrounding bodies
of water from around the globe to gain insight as to why Brazil is so lacking in nautical
infrastructure. Rodriguez treats these images as found, abstract paintings. The method of
making, through virtual observation, can be seen as a strategy for mitigating distance between
our bodies and bodies of water.

3. Laurencia Strauss / Float
Reclaimed wood, sailing rope
The initially iteration of this architectural intervention was originally designed for an
exhibition in Porto Alegre and has been reconstructed as a viewing station for A Ponte and
Reflecting Pool. Strauss originally conceived this bench as a way to recreate the sensation of
being on the water, an impossibility in Porto Alegre due to restricted access to the waterfront. The
ambiguousness of the platform is a key element. When viewing A Ponte, Float becomes one of the rafts and creates an immersive experience for the viewer. At the same time, when looking down below at Rodriquez’s Reflecting Pool, the platform becomes a vehicle to experience height, rising verticals, and suggests view point shifts that would result after rising sea levels.

4. Laurencia Strauss / inkjet printed vinyl table wrap

A map of the coast of eastern South Florida combined with a map of the river delta with the city of Porto Alegre locates water systems addressed in the exhibition.