The seven-foot sculpture reacts to oceanographic data in real time to give the sea a voice

Photo courtesy of the artist

Miami, FL (October 17, 2024) - Multi-platinum singer-songwriter and visual artist Jewel will debut her newest fine art installation as part of Faena Art's highly anticipated 2024 Miami Art Week programming. Titled Heart of the Ocean, this innovative seven-foot sculpture will translate real-time oceanic data into a captivating visual and auditory display that reflects the ocean's ever-changing state, serving as a metaphor for mental health. Designed to embody the profound and dynamic relationship between humanity and the sea, Heart of the Ocean will be on view beginning December 3 at the Faena District. You can watch Jewel talk about the installation on the TODAY ShowHERE.

"In creating Heart of the Ocean, my goal is to foster a deeper relationship with the natural world by giving a voice to the ocean," said Jewel. "The piece asks viewers to confront the depths of their own being, and the healing that lies in embracing the full spectrum of our experiences. This work stands as a testament to the transformative power of exploring our depths, and the freedom found in illuminating the darkness. If the ocean teaches us anything, it is that light can shine in impossible places."

As a first-of-its-kind breakthrough in creating harmonious data sonification, Jewel collaborated with leading scientists from NASA, NOAA, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley to record temperature variations, migratory animal patterns, and wave activity. Using live and historic data, the Heart of the Ocean will create and "sing" a custom 12-minute soundscape, giving the sea a resonant voice. Synth key changes are assigned to different depths in the ocean, while the music's tempo, instrumentation, and rhythm is influenced by the ocean's salinity, temperature, tide patterns, dolphin movements, and phases of the moon. The data also influences the colorful fiber-optic light display throughout the chrysalis-like form of the sculpture creating an immersive sensory experience that shifts in harmony with the ocean's fluctuations. Inspired by the ocean's regenerative power and humanity's connection to the natural world, Heart of the Ocean blends visual art, light, sound, mental health, science, and technology.

Faena Art, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, annually presents curated activations by leading international artists during Miami Art Week. Jewel's participation in Faena Art's Miami Art Week programming follows her debut in the visual art world earlier this year at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where she designed and curated an immersive audio-visual experience.

About Jewel

Jewelis a 4x Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, visual artist, actress, New York Times best-selling author, and mental health pioneer. Best-known for her musical talents, Jewel's passion and training in sculpture, drawing, and painting began before her songwriting career. Over the years, she has continued creating, working with paint and clay. In spring 2024, Jewel made her debut in the art world at Crystal Bridges Museum of Art in Bentonville, Arkansas with 'The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel', featuring her own painting and sculpture. Throughout her art, Jewel combines her passions for storytelling, experimentation and democratizing mental health. For the past 21 years, Jewel's Inspiring Children Foundation and Jewel Inc. have brought specially-designed mental health programs to at-risk youth and to leading corporations. Jewel created SELLA, a language arts curriculum for schools integrating social and emotional learning and mental health practices, and co-founded Innerworld, an innovative virtual mental health platform. Jewel's remarkable journey has taken her from a childhood with no running water on an Alaskan homestead to becoming a multi-platinum recording artist and mental health advocate. She has released 13 studio albums and recently embarked on a national co-headlining tour with Melissa Etheridge.

About Faena Art

Faena Artis a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that commissions, produces, and houses cross-disciplinary artistic experiences with an emphasis on cultivating community and supporting artists locally and abroad. A catalyst for innovative, site-specific, and immersive practices, Faena Art bridges the popular and the experimental making art accessible to all. Faena Art fosters new models for social interaction transcending the traditional boundaries of art, science, philosophy, and social practice. Established in 2011, Faena Art continues to commission major installations and exhibitions that are a major highlight of Miami Art Week and the city's vibrant cultural scene at large. Over the past 12 years, their programming has expanded to include a biannual art prize, permanent exhibition spaces, and residencies across both Miami and Buenos Aires.

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