Diana Lowenstein celebrates a silver anniversary – Knight Foundation
Arts

Diana Lowenstein celebrates a silver anniversary

A glimpse of all the artwork inside the Diana Lowenstein galleries.

Diana Lowenstein opened up a gallery 25 years ago in Buenos Aires, originally called Der Brücke (named after the early 20th-century German Expressionist movement); it opened up in Miami 15 years ago, first in Coral Gables and now in Wynwood. She has featured many artists from her homeland through the ages, being the first to expose local audiences to works from Argentine artists Hernan Dompe, Silvia Rivas and Graciela Sacco.

But she also expanded her roster widely to include many Latin American and North American artists as well. As Miami’s indigenous art scene grew, Lowenstein also started promoting local artists, such as Michael Loveland.

To give us a flavor of what has been shown throughout these 25 years, Lowenstein asked curator Ombretta Agro to put together an exhibit, which just opened last Friday, in time for Art Basel, titled “Years of Art Discourse From Buenos Aires to Miami (4409.72 miles, 9125 days).”

In the two main spaces, more than 50 international artists are collected, including works from true masters such as Wifredo Lam and Francis Bacon; a gorgeous pink circular piece made of semiprecious stones from Xawery Wolski; and text-based work from Michael Scoggins, who just had an excellent show at the gallery.

But outside in the transformed parking lot are the show-stoppers. Four shipping containers are the temporary home to installations from four locally based artists. Felice Grodin (who filled the Project Space at Locust Projects last spring with a delicate, wooden mini-cityscape) has made a “fun-house” of illusion in silver and white and reflections; Loveland and Chu Teppa take over two others. And Alex Trimino has placed her colorful, lighted, funky sculptures in the last container – don’t miss Trimino’s stunning window display as part of yet another anniversary show, the 30th at the ArtCenter.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, you can also check out the last week of Diego Singh’s superb show at Snitzer’s new gallery downtown. The brown and off-white paintings, so limited in color yet filled with so much movement that evoke shadows and shadow-play, create the best wall in Miami at the moment.

“Years of Art Discourse From Buenos Aires to Miami (4409.72 miles, 9125 days)” runs through Jan. 31 at Diana Lowenstein Gallery, 2043 N. Miami Ave., Miami; dianalowensteingallery.com.

Diego Singh “Plateau Plateau” runs through Dec. 1 at Fredric Snitzer Gallery, 1540 N.E. Miami Ct., Miami; snitzer.com.