The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami launched its Main Galleries in the landmark Moore Building with “Sanatorium,” an ongoing performative project that mixes art and psychology conceived by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes.
The installation takes the form of a transient clinic, in which receptionists and “therapists” trained by the artist, help visitors with their individual needs. Reyes’s therapies leverage a range of methods—from Gestalt psychology, psychodrama, and hypnosis, to theater warm-up exercises, conflict-resolution techniques, and trust-building games. First presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 2011, and radically adapted with each subsequent iteration, “Sanatorium” at ICA Miami reflects the region’s dynamic landscape and community.
Trained as an architect, Pedro Reyes (b. 1972, Mexico City) is known for his structures, relational installations, and his performance and video work, which have been presented internationally including at the Walker Art Center, Documenta, and the Carnegie International, among many others. His work addresses the interplay of physical and social space, and uses both formal and narrative methods to explore interpersonal relationships as well as political and economical participation. He often relies on architecture, design, language, video and group activities to examine the cognitive contradictions modern life, and the possibility of increasing our individual and collective degree of agency.
ICA Miami’s inaugural exhibitions are made possible through the generous support of ICA Miami’s Board of Trustees.
