In addition to going to the Frost Museum while in Miami, we also ventured into the Pérez Art Museum Miami, aka the PAMM. The museum sits right next to the Frost Museum bordering a beautiful park with a ton of colorful dog and cat statues. (I would definitely suggest taking a brief walk through the statues while you're over there.)

The museum was full of incredible artwork of diverse mediums and from artists of very diverse backgrounds and culturals. My favorite part, however was one of the special exhibitions Leandro Erlich: Liminal.

This was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The exhibition presents sixteen works that span two decades of Erlich's work. The title itself refers to "a transitional zone located at the threshold of another space, and indirectly suggests being on the verge of crossing over, or entering into, a new destination or state of existence." In simpler terms, those spaces in between. I like to think of liminal spaces as being places where you don't quite feel a part of reality, like gas stations or large stores late at night, art museums with few windows, or even bookstores. It's sort of an eerie place to be in.

This is exactly the sort of off-putting feeling you get while exploring this gallery. You are shown places from every day life like an opening and closing elevator with people inside, a plane window, views of people in their apartments from a window, a hair salon, or a sidewalk. These aren't paintings though. Most are interactive in which you can sit or walk through the space the area is designed to be. Others use video in addition to whatever the structure is. 

I hope I'm explaining this well. It's hard to put into words what it was like experiencing this. It's definitely something you need to experience for yourself.

One of the most unique parts of the exhibition was an area set up much like a maze. The whole thing was designed to look like a dressing room in an department store. Each dressing room was a perfect replica of the one next to it. They were so identical that you might think it was a reflection...and sometimes it was! 

The dressing rooms were accesible via what looked like a mirror that you had to step through. Not all of the mirrors were fake though and if you weren't careful, you might run into your own reflection. It was easy to get confused at to what was real and what wasn't. (Best to take your time as you move through the maze to avoid runnning into any mirrors, tripping, or bumping into another person who may be just as lost.)

It's interactive art like this that I feel really elevates the field as a whole. Walking through a mostly silent building with few windows staring at paint on canvas isn't everyone's forte. Erlich's gallery provides a unique interactive experience that can be engaging for all ages.

The exhibit will be on display until September 4, 2023. 

Like the Frost Museum, the PAMM is wheelchair accessible and has some great discounted prices for students, youth, and military. You can learn more about the exhibit here: https://www.pamm.org/en/exhibition/leandro-erlich-liminal/

and about the PAMM here: https://www.pamm.org/en/