Diatom Court
The site-specific ceramic installation by Xavier Cortada at Pinecrest Gardens is dedicated to the scientists who use diatoms to help us better understand South Florida's ecosystems, global climate change and sea level rise. Diatoms are water-bound, single-celled symmetrical organisms encapsulated in silica. They harness the power of the sun to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and are responsible for generating one-third of the air we breathe. Its shell, all that remains from the diatom that lived in the past, is used by scientists today to see what was as they research crucial environmental issues in the century to come. Scientists—and artists—can determine the past salinity of water by examining the glass shells of diatoms preserved in sedimentary core samples. Each diatom species has a different salinity preference, so changes in the mixture of fresh and sea water (driven by sea level and changes in water management) can be inferred from past diatom remains. The installation was sponsored by Pinecrest Gardens and Jessica Cortada and unveiled on Earth Day 2018.
Longitudinal Installation
In the South Pole in 2007 and in the North Pole in 2008, Cortada created the Longitudinal Installation. During both visits, Cortada placed 24 shoes in a circle, each aligned across 24 longitudes. He stopped in front of each of his longitudinal shoe markers and read a quote aloud that revealed a person’s experience with climate change from that part of the world. His artistic ritual illustrated how everyone in the world has been profoundly impacted by climate change. The South Pole’s Longitudinal Installation has been replicated as a ceramic sculpture on permanent exhibit at In the Garden at Pinecrest Gardens. This participatory art installation invites visitors to recite the 24 quotes, as Cortada did at both ends of the world.
Mangrove Mural
The 200-foot long Mangrove mural and City’s First Urban Mangrove Forest was revealed. In his, socially-charged “Plan(T)” art project, local environmental artist Xavier Cortada embarked on a public education campaign to urge every resident across Miami-Dade County to plant a saltwater-tolerant mangrove seedling and elevation-marked white flag in their yard to start preparing for the future of sea-level rise. The Plan(T) project is part of an overall urban mangrove forestation effort and includes exhibits, eco-talks and mangrove seedling giveaways at Miami-Dade Public Libraries, numerous schools and Pinecrest Gardens’ popular Farmers Market. The mural was unveiled at Pinecrest Gardens during Art Basel 2019.
Eco-art Colonnade
The Eco-art Colonnade, is an interactive 200-foot long eco-art exhibition that is on display at Pinecrest Gardens. The Eco-art Colonnade showcases a collection of Cortada’s most important projects so visitors can learn about critical environmental issues impacting South Florida, participate in a range of ongoing eco-art initiatives, and ultimately discover how they can help to protect people and the planet.