Sarah Oppenheimer unravels the secrets of the Pérez Art Museum Miami

The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is debuting a major new work from New York-based visual artist Sarah Oppenheimer. Commissioned by the museum, the new project required the exhibition space on the second floor to be reoriented – and that is its genius. Oppenheimer thus bridges art, architecture and engineering in 'intensive spatial modifications'.
'Every building has its secrets,' says PAMM curator René Morales. 'PAMM’s architects employed brilliant and innovative structural techniques that are hidden within the museum’s iconic form. Sarah’s work explores and unravels the secrets of the buildings she engages.'
In 'S-281913', Oppenheimer creates two architectural 'switches' – rotating glass elements that alternate in transparency and reflectivity in relation to lighting conditions and viewing position. These switches are independent of each other and play between Herzog & de Meuron’s lighting grid and PAMM’s view of Biscayne Bay. A trick of the eye, a play on space and proximity.
'The complex production of this piece and its installation in the museum’s gallery testifies to Oppenheimer’s status as a proponent for sculpture in an ever-expanding field, one that also comes to terms with architecture and engineering,' says director Franklin Sirmans. 'Believing that artists and their imaginations spur innovation and experimentation in technology, PAMM supports contemporary artists who push the boundaries of diverse fields of inquiry, while suggesting new paths for art-making.'
Oppenheimer created a pair of architectural ’switches’ – rotating glass elements that alternate in transparency and reflectivity in relation to lighting conditions and viewing position
The new project required the exhibition space on the second floor to be reoriented. Oppenheimer thus bridges art, architecture and engineering in ’intensive spatial modifications’
Installation view of ’S-281913’ at PAMM
INFORMATION
’Sarah Oppenheimer: S-281913’ is on view until 30 April 2017. For more information, visit the Pérez Art Museum Miami website
ADDRESS
PAMM
1103 Biscayne Blvd
Miami FL 33132
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daniel Scheffler is a storyteller for The New York Times and others. He has a travel podcast with iHeart Media called Everywhere and a Substack newsletter, Withoutmaps, where he shares all his wild ways. He lives in New York with his husband and their pup.
-
The artistry of Japanese wine
Fine wine from Japan may not yet register highly on the radars of most oenophiles, but for those who know, it's a hugely rewarding and rich tapestry of flavour. Drinks expert, Neil Ridley visits London's Luna Omakase for the launch of a new dedicated Japanese wine pairing menu
-
In Los Angeles, Darling doesn’t want to be your average dinner spot
Vinyl, live-fire cooking, and California’s finest ingredients come together in this immersive new concept from a celebrated Southern chef
-
Ashlyn, the quietly romantic New York label from a Yohji Yamamoto alumna
The focus of our latest Uprising column, Seoul-born Ashlyn Park worked for fashion greats before starting her own label in 2020. Showing her S/S 2026 collection at NYFW yesterday, she talks to Wallpaper* about marrying Japanese influences with the romance of Parisian savoir-faire
-
Stephen Prina borrows from pop, classical and modern music: now MoMA pays tribute to his performance work
‘Stephen Prina: A Lick and a Promise’ recalls the artist, musician, and composer’s performances, and is presented throughout MoMA. Prina tells us more
-
Curtains up, Kid Harpoon rethinks the sound of Broadway production ‘Art’
He’s crafted hits with Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus; now songwriter and producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull) tells us about composing the music for the new, all-star Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s play ‘Art’
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in Texas
The artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
-
The best Ruth Asawa exhibition is actually on the streets of San Francisco
The artist, now the subject of a major retrospective at SFMOMA, designed many public sculptures scattered across the Bay Area – you just have to know where to look
-
Orlando Museum of Art wants to showcase more Latin American and Hispanic artists. Do you fit the bill?
The Florida gallery calls for for Hispanic and Latin American artists to submit their work for an ongoing exhibition
-
The spread of Butter: the Black-owned art fair where artists see all the profits
The Indianapolis-based art fair is known for bringing Black art to the forefront. As it ventures out of state to make its Los Angeles debut, we speak with founders Mali and Alan Bacon to find out more
-
Steve Martin wants you to visit The Frick Collection
The actor has appeared in a video promoting New York’s newly renovated art museum
-
Architect Erin Besler is reframing the American tradition of barn raising
At Art Omi sculpture and architecture park, NY, Besler turns barn raising into an inclusive project that challenges conventional notions of architecture