A fiberglass sculpture of a Guajira woman stitching a torn Venezuelan flag now stands in the Coral Gables Museum courtyard, its message of rebuilding sharpened by the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
"Rebuilding Motherland," created in 2004 by Caracas-born sculptor Beatriz Kohn, was announced by the Coral Gables Museum on Tuesday, July 7, at its courtyard at 285 Aragon Ave.
Kohn, 87, originally made the piece in response to the deterioration of Venezuela's civic fabric during the Bolivarian Revolution under Hugo Chávez. The museum said the sculpture has "acquired renewed significance" following the June 24 earthquakes, which killed at least 188 people and trapped more than 200.
The back-to-back quakes, magnitude-7.2 and magnitude-7.5, struck within one minute of each other near Morón on the Caribbean coast, about 104 miles west of Caracas. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency and described the coastal state of La Guaira as a "disaster zone."
The U.S. Geological Survey called the pair among the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.
For South Florida's large Venezuelan diaspora, the disaster hit close to home. More than 7.7 million people have left Venezuela during its protracted crisis, according to U.N. estimates, and Miami-area businesses have been raising funds for relief. True Loaf Bakery in Sunset Harbor held a fundraiser with arepas and live music in early July, with all proceeds going to UNICEF.
Kohn trained in New York under José de Creeft, the Spanish-born sculptor best known for the 16-foot bronze "Alice in Wonderland" in Central Park. Her work has been exhibited across Venezuela, Europe, Mexico and the United States, and appears in public and private collections internationally. She lives and works in New York.
The installation is sponsored by Kohn Irrevocable Trust LLC.
The museum is open Tuesday through Friday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed Monday. Visitors can check the museum's website for admission details.
Upcoming at the Coral Gables Museum
- Family Day: Saturday, July 18, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
- Gallery Night: Friday, Aug. 1, 6–10 p.m.
