There is a distinct moment of silence as we first rise into our day, before the reflections of our dreams from the night before overcast onto our understanding of today–truths of the self emerge in these moments of silence. Referencing two poems, The Keeper of Sheep by Fernando Pessoa (written under the heteronym Alberto Caeiro) and Meditations Upon Waking Up by Fernando Pessoa, the connection among this group of exhibited artists, each with diverse backgrounds and experiences, becomes clear. Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935) was a Portuguese modernist poet and writer, known for his use of multiple literary personas, or heteronyms, to explore various philosophical and poetic themes.
Tunnel Projects is an artist-run initiative based in Miami that provides opportunities for artists to exhibit and develop their work. It is distinctively located in an underground parking lot at El Capiro, a 1980s shopping plaza in Little Havana.Tunnel Projects supports artists by providing exhibition and studio spaces and promotes artist-led workshops and public programs. Each of the eleven artists in this exhibition, whether native to Miami or having established their artistic practice here, are connected to the exploratory space of Tunnel Projects in some way.
At the heart of this exhibition is a thread of conceptual and investigative similarities, though the artworks themselves, from medium to scale, could not be more physically different from one another. The underlying conceptual theme of this group of artists, each pursuing their own spiritual, political, and aesthetic inquiries, yet all capturing an intricate essence of dreams, the past, and the self, often using metaphors of windows, portals, and archives to convey visual reflections, acting as visual archives of deep reflections for viewers.These conceptual explorations are evident in the relentless pursuit of light's qualities in the paintings of Argentinian artist & current Tunnel Projects visiting studio resident–Sasha Micovich, and in the reflective works of artists Victoria Ravelo and Rafael Lucas, where elements of mirrors bring us face to face with ourselves. In Minovich’s artist statement, he states, "In a world saturated with constant stimuli, I try to make my paintings call us to pause, to find beauty in calmness...” This idea embodies the spirit of numerous pieces in this exhibition.
As humans, we find moments when we desperately seek retreat for ourselves—to recover, reflect, and offer ourselves forgiveness or gratitude, acknowledging our bodies for carrying us through the trials of time.These moments unfold when our bodies lead us to the ocean, standing silently as the horizon blurs our vision but clears our mind, or when we wake early, finding the water still and the Miami streets silent—a tranquility that allows us to reflect, write, work, and count our blessings. Or, as Caeiro describes, lying in the grass, feeling the wind stir—these moments of introspection shape the soul. The artists in this exhibition have captured such moments through non-traditional objects, paintings, and videos; their works serve as vessels of contemplation that nourish our souls as viewers.