Miami, not the Beach

In 2018, I lived for several weeks in Miami in an alternative living space known as Esquina de Abuela in the neighborhood of Allapattah, a place I would return to for several months each year until 2024. This place became a gateway to a Miami far removed from the imagery associated with its iconic beachfront peninsula. In this multicultural and multigenerational city, Latin, African American, and Caribbean communities occupy their territories, continually reshaping them through cultural influences, migratory flows, and processes of segregation. Within these spaces, multiple open-air pockets take shape, creating intimate small worlds. Miami, not the Beach is a personal project that confronts the identity of this fragmented metropolis, one where urban planning, the predominance of Spanish, dependence on cars, gun ownership, and even the adoption of so-called aggressive dog breeds hinder both encounters and the emergence of a collective life.