Ask any artist. Inspiration can come from anywhere. It can be somewhere close or a long way from where you are. One local artist is using her love of the ocean and its most unique creatures to create a must-see exhibit.

There’s an entire world happening at the bottom of the sea at MAD Arts Museum in Dania Beach. Bioluminal takes a deep dive into that world.

Amanda Deroxtra: “Bioluminal is a piece all about the ocean and the amazing creatures that we may know about and the amazing creatures that we may never have discovered that could be in our imaginations.”

You play a big part what makes it so cool.

Amanda Deroxtra: “Because it’s interactive, immersive, but it also transports you to a completely different world.”

Bioluminal is based on a classic theme — finding light in the darkness.

Francisca Oyhanarte: “For this piece, I explore the bioluminescence that happens down deep down in the ocean, in the depths of the ocean where creatures create their own light in order to survive.”

It may be all color and movement, but there’s more to the installation than meets the eye.

Francisca Oyhanarte: “I use that as a metaphor, like for us to use the ability to go down deep in the darkness and create our own language of light as well.”

The visuals in the exhibit are a mix of fact and imagination.

Francisca Oyhanarte: “Some were from my inner visions that I see things, and I download that into my artworks; that’s part of my process and then of course online for a few creatures.”

It’s no accident the undersea inhabitants look the way they do.

Francisca Oyhanarte: “They’re not random. I don’t choose them randomly at all. So yeah, you can see a fish, but that fish has this specific color that is doing this thing, and I think that’s very interesting.”

Our slice of the ocean plays a big part in the finished product.

Francisca Oyhanarte: “When I moved to Miami, I started getting inspired by the ocean and nature, and that’s where the full psychedelic world opened to me.”

Bioluminal shines a light on a world that’s seldom seen. It’s worth the look.

Francisca Oyhanarte: “The idea is to bring joy and love, and people feel energized with it.”

“Bio-luminal” runs through Nov. 8 at MadArts. The museum opens Wednesday through Monday.

FOR MORE INFO:
MAD Arts
481 South Federal Highway
Dania Beach, FL 33004
Website

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