Routes of Influence

“Routes of Influence” consists of six thematic presentations of works from the permanent collection, positioned within two galleries on the first floor and four galleries on the second floor. These Overview Galleries form a conceptual spine running through the building, continually placing collection works in visual dialogue with the exhibitions and projects presented in the museum’s additional galleries.

Inspired by Miami’s position as a hub of diverse flows of people, ideas, and art histories, this exhibition juxtaposes artworks in a manner that maps how aesthetic concepts move fluidly across traditional, national or cultural lines, how “influence” in art is understood today as multi-directional,  rather than linear in character. Specifically exchanging the notion of “roots” for “routes,” this presentation emphasizes trajectories over origins in its interpretation of these artworks, how meaning is not limited to the context in which each work was produced, but expands as it is put into dialogue with the other works on display.  Each thematic gallery highlights the ways in which particular forms, narratives, or political ideas migrate between artworks. Additional pieces selected involve journeys referenced by artists working across diverse parts of the world.