NOTE FROM MARIO: This exhibition was co-curated by me and my close friend, artist Jenny Perez. It was hosted in the sales gallery of a preconstruction project in Wynwood, and in my mind, the title was supposed to be a nod to how ironic it was that the very powers that led to artists leaving the neighborhood in the name of gentrification were now trying to co opt artists's vibes to sell apartments during Art Basel. That critical note aside, I was proud of the way in which we were able to put on a real show with talented local artists and thorughful curation, all while making sure the artists got paid! Big thanks to the cloud One for being down and for hosting us :)
STATEMENT: HOMECOMING presents four artists whose practices investigate memory, identity, and the internal landscapes that shape our sense of belonging. The exhibition reflects on what it means to return — to a place, to a community, and, fundamentally, to oneself. Home is not only defined by space, but by coherence and feeling: a state in which the body calms and one’s inner truth becomes visible. The sensation of home lives within us.
The works on view consider homecoming as the embodiment of remembering. They move through themes of nostalgia, cultural lineage, and personal integration, examining how we reconnect with parts of ourselves that have been scattered, silenced, or transformed by time. They recognize the ways in which home can be invoked through love, through hearth and familiarity.
Once defined by artist-led exploration and communal ritual, Wynwood is continually renegotiating its identity under the pressures of displaced demographics and new beginnings. By showcasing this exhibition inside a new development, The Cloud One creates a moment of return: artists from different cultural backgrounds building connection, culture, and belonging within the evolving landscape of a changing neighborhood.