Clara Toro has spent the last three years avidly photographing the Miami neighborhood of Wynwood Norte. Surrounded by the rapidly gentrifying areas of Allapattah to the west, Miami Design District to the north, Midtown to the east, and the Wynwood Arts District to the south, Wynwood Norte is also changing. Yet, it possesses a unique cultural character that reminds the artist of her hometown of Medellín, Colombia. For Clara, photographing the neighborhood is a sensory experience: “Walking around and listening to the music that comes from the houses, the women cooking in the kitchen, the children playing in the patios, transports me to the city of my youth.”
The second iteration of Clara’s long-term project, Wynwood Norte: Un barrio de Miami, is a selection of thirty images from a larger body of work that documents the single-family homes and residents of Wynwood Norte. Her images of homes hint to everyday life in one of Miami’s historic urban neighborhoods and prompt the viewer to think about people through the spaces they occupy. Each place becomes a reflection of its inhabitants, an opportunity to imagine the lives within.
The installation also includes a selection of studio portraits that Clara has taken of the residents in the local community centers. In one portrait, an elderly resident looks shyly into the camera, hands clasped neatly, the folds of her deep purple shirt catching the light. The image seems to capture her personal essence, as much as the overall character of the people that reside in the neighborhood, which is inhabited predominantly by immigrants, many who have lived there for decades and have been witness to its many changes.
The portraits, coupled with Toro’s other images, present an intimate picture of life in this neighborhood: of children playing soccer in the yard, of a daughter emotionally cradling her father’s head in her hand, of a mantle showcasing First Communion portraits and small trophies.
Through her work, Toro considers Miami’s story of immigration and its significant role in the development of the city. In her images, she captures details, such as a rocking chair painted with the Puerto Rican flag and a statue of a virgin looking upon three figures in tumultuous waters, that express the cultural diversity of the neighborhood.
Toro, creates images that transmit stillness and silence, while simultaneously embodying the liveliness of a place filled with activity. The installation invites viewers to slow their pace, stroll through carefully observing the details in the images, and appreciate the distinct character of Wynwood Norte.
The impetus for this photographic project comes from Toro’s interest in documenting a place over time. During her walks, she encounters neighbors, who are interested in her project and pleased that she is capturing the neighborhood as it now stands. “I want to create an archive of what is here now. When the neighborhood looks different in ten, fifteen years, I want to be able to go back and look at these pictures.”
Wynwood Norte: Un barrio de Miami will be on view at Roberto Clemente Park beginning December 1, 2023.
Support for this project comes from Bakehouse Art Complex, The City of Miami and District 5 Commissioner, and Oolite Arts.
