De La Cruz Collection...

7:43 a.m.

Back in time, collectors kept their artworks privately and only those within the inner circle were invited to enjoy them. In many cases, once the collector died, the families would donate the collection to a Museum, as was the case with the Guerrico Family and María Luisa Bemberg's donation, now at the MNBA.

Nowadays, however, it's not unusual to find collectors willing to share their artworks with a vast audience and finance special venues to showcase them. The Broad opened recently in Los Angeles, a contemporary art museum housing the collection of Eli and Edythe Broad. A few weeks ago we posted about the Rubell Collection in Miami. Today we bring you the De la Cruz Collection, also in Miami.

View of the ground floor

Works by Felíx Gonzalez Torres, Thomás Houseago and Wade Guyton.

Of the many pieces of this collection, today we can see a selection on display at the exhibition entitled "Beneath the Surface": works by the generation of artists that reshaped the post-war movement and took on the consequences of globalization under a New Abstraction and figurative painting.

Soul Mate, 2012

Mirrored tile, by Rashid Johnson

Black soap and wax / Measures: 120 x 156 inches

In one of the rooms of the ground floor you'll find a sculpture by Dan Colen (Letonia, 1979) which represents an instant, a moment in time. Behind, two abstract artworks by Mark Bradford (USA, 1961) and Rudolf Stingel (Italy, 1956), which stand out for the richness of the collage and the materials used.

The Big Dipper, by Dan Colen (2013)

Glass, blackboard and aluminum / Measures: 93 x 93 x 42 inches

Left: 2871 East, by Mark Bradford (2012)

Mixed media, collage on canvas / Measures: 102 x 144 inches

Right: Untitled, by Rudolf Stingel (2010)

Oil and enamel on canvas / Measures: 120 x 96 inches

On the first floor you'll see the detailed works by Aaron Curry (USA, 1972) who, in the middle of a mixture of materials, he draws exquisite biomorphic shapes.

Aaron Curry - 2010

Cardboard, paint and ink / Mesures: 47 x 47 x 1 inches

Aaron Curry - 2010 (detail)

Cardboard, paint and ink / Mesures: 47 x 47 x 1 inches

Against one of the walls of the room there's a black water dispenser. It's a sculpture by Adam McEwen (England, 1965) made with graphite. McEwen usually reproduces daily-life objects in 1:1 scale, but using materials that cancel the true function of that object.

Water Cooler, by Adam McEwen (2012)

Graphite / Measures: 54 x 16 x 8 inches

On the third floor there are several works by Félix González-Torres (Cuba, 1957- USA, 1996), an artist who reflected like no other how ephemeral human life is. One of those artworks is made of 175 pounds of mint candies: that's exactly the weight his father had at the time of his death and a very particular portrait. González Torres offers also a chance to interact with the artwork as we are invited to take a candy (which is later replaced by the museum staff to keep the weight constant).

Untitled (Portrait of Dad), by Féliz Gonzalez Torres (1991)

White mint candies (endless supply) / Weigjt: 175 pounds

Finally, a room dedicated to artist Ana Mendieta (Cuba, 1948- New York, 1985), a pioneer of performances, specially in open spaces. Her work is unique for the blending of cultural and spiritual issues, so common in her life story, which was marked by the social and political changes in her country and the sadness she had to undertake during exile.

Room dedicated to Ana Mendieta

Third floor - De la Cruz Collection

This year the De La Cruz Collection is celebrating its 5th Anniversary since the opening of its building in Maimi's Design District. As Rosa De la Cruz once explained, this space is an extension of her house in Key Biscayne and she and her husband Carlos wanted to open it so that the community could have an easy access to the artworks. The exhibition has nothing to envy those offered by great musems, with an impeccable staging and curatorial criteria.