Carlos Betancourt and Alberto Latorre roll out new installation connected to The ReefLine by OMA's Shohei Shigematsu

The Architect's Newspaper, by Daniel Jonas Roche
Daniel Jonas Roche , The Architect's Newspaper, November 22, 2024

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Betancourt collaborated with architect Alberto Latorre on the project, which delivered a 60-foot installation comprised of 46 modules that, from afar, appears as if it’s one large sand castle. (Courtesy The ReefLine)

 

It’s been four years since BlueLab Preservation Societyand OMA’s Shohei Shigematsu unveiled The ReefLine, a 7-mile underwater sculpture park, snorkel trail, and purpose-built reef open to the public about 600 feet off of Miami Beach’s shore, 20 feet below the water line. On land, the venture brings artworks that critically engage endangered reef organisms, promote biodiversity, and enhance coastal resilience.

 Ahead of Miami Art Week, artist Carlos Betancourt completed a new installation, Miami Reef Star.Betancourt collaborated with architect Alberto Latorre on the project which delivered a 60-foot installation comprised of 46 modules that, from afar, appears as if it’s one large sandcastle.

At Miami Reef Star, each of the modules is a textured star sculpture with their own varying shapes and sizes. For Betancourt and Latorre, the piece is a prototype of sorts; a second iteration will be installed under water adjacent to The ReefLine when it’s finished over the course of multiple phases in 2025. That final model will have a 90-foot diameter and be viewable from airplanes flying overhead, the artists shared.... Link to full article.