The Miami Beach Botanical Garden is pleased to present Weathering, a solo exhibition by Miami-based artist Alissa Alfonso, curated by Veronica Pesantes on view from October 19 – November 10, 2025. This exhibition aims to bring art, joy, and biocentrism into dialogue with the climate crisis. Through soft sculptures of snails, jellyfish, clouds, and healing botanical forms, Alfonso transforms discarded materials into a living garden of reclaimed wonders—where nature’s resilience becomes both subject and collaborator.
By centering local plants and the South Florida landscape, Alfonso’s work decenters humans, long regarded as the focal point of Western art and culture. Her practice embodies biocentrism, an ethical framework that recognizes the intrinsic value of all living forms. In Weathering, she invites viewers to slow down, listen, and rediscover their connection to the natural world—not through alarm, but through gentle attention and care.
As Alfonso describes, she has “created a living garden of reclaimed wonders, where snails carry time on their backs, jellyfish float between worlds, and blooms turn toward a light born of forgotten things.” Her dreamlike perspective transforms urgency into reflection, revealing the interconnectedness of art, ecology, and empathy.
Installed throughout the Garden’s gallery and grounds, Alfonso’s hand-dyed textile sculptures—made from reused fiberfill, salvaged textiles, and recovered playground balls—animate this urban oasis at what scientists call “ground zero” for climate change. Works such as Dawn Rainbow Landscape 3 (2025) and Bloodroot (2025) merge environmental awareness with a tactile, meditative process that honors both fragility and renewal.
According to The Guardian, human connection to nature “has declined by more than 60% since 1800, mirroring the disappearance of natural words such as river, moss, and blossom from books.” Alfonso’s work responds to this loss by reminding us that nature, though weathered, remains persistent. For those who call Miami home, it continues to surround and shape us—offering both warning and wonder.
Weathering transforms the Miami Beach Botanical Garden into an environment of reflection and restoration. Through reclaimed beauty, Alfonso’s art reveals a hopeful truth: what wears down can also bloom again.
Alissa Alfonso’s artistic practice revolves around the transformation of the past into a dialogue with the future, exemplifying a profound reverence for the natural world. Embracing diverse roles—artist, mother, collector, designer—Alfonso’s work reflects her multifaceted identity and her commitment to both environmental preservation and community engagement.
Operating from her home studio nestled within a 1937 art deco house in Hollywood, Florida, Alfonso’s creative process is deeply intertwined with her surroundings. Utilizing repurposed, hand-dyed fabrics, she crafts botanical soft sculptures reminiscent of healing plants, inviting viewers to contemplate the intrinsic connection between humanity and nature.
Alfonso’s artistic vision extends beyond the confines of her studio, manifesting in initiatives such as “Off the Canvas,” a pioneering arts program she founded for Broward County Schools. By championing non-traditional mediums and emphasizing the omnipresence of art in everyday life, Alfonso empowers young minds to explore their creative potential while fostering a deeper appreciation for sustainability.
Her current endeavors span a spectrum of mediums and concepts, from large-scale fabric murals to functional lighting inspired by organic forms. While her work poignantly acknowledges the fragility of nature in the face of environmental change, it resounds with a message of hope, encapsulating the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world.
Alissa Alfonso’s artistic practice weaves together threads of memory, community, and environmental stewardship to create a tapestry that speaks to both the present moment and the possibilities of the future.
Baker—Hall is a contemporary art gallery founded by Amanda Baker—Hall in 2024. It is the successor to her previous project, Club Gallery. The gallery aims to promote emerging and mid-career artists through a fresh curatorial approach, while also offering comprehensive art advisory services. Baker—Hall specializes in painting and sculpture across narrative and non-objective styles, with a focus on collaborating with private collectors and prominent corporate institutions. The gallery boasts a robust exhibition schedule, featuring a minimum of eight rotating exhibitions each year.
Baker—Hall is a proud member of NADA.
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