Puma.Creative And Bass Museum Of Art Announce Three-Year Partnership Focusing On Creativity From The Caribbean Region And Launch Creative Caribbean Network

Bass Museum of Art in partnership with PUMA.Creative presents the solo exhibition Isaac Julien/Creative Caribbean Network

PUMA.Creative and the Bass Museum of Art announce a three-year partnership as part of the launch of the Creative Caribbean Network, an initiative dedicated to promoting the work of Caribbean artists. This partnership will celebrate the rich artistic heritage of the Caribbean region and the Caribbean Diaspora by creating an international platform in Miami for photographers, performers, writers, musicians and other artists from the Caribbean region. An ongoing series of exhibitions, music performances, educational activities and other live events will take place at the Bass Museum site at key dates in the Miami cultural calendar over the next three years.

To launch the initiative, the Bass Museum of Art and PUMA.Creative are delighted to present, a solo exhibition of work by the celebrated artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien in a project entitled Isaac Julien/Creative Caribbean Network. Presented from December 2, 2010 through March 6, 2011, this exhibition will open to the public concurrent to Art Basel Miami Beach.

ISAAC JULIEN/Creative Caribbean Network is the most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work in the last ten years. It showcases the US premiere of Julien’s critically acclaimed, nine-screen installation, Ten Thousand Waves (2010) as well as the film installations and photographic series Paradise Omeros (2002), Baltimore (2003) and Vagabondia (2000).

Julien is a British artist and filmmaker, of Caribbean heritage, whose work incorporates different artistic disciplines, drawing from and commenting on film, dance, photography, music, theatre, painting and sculpture, and uniting them to create a unique poetic visual language in audiovisual film installations. Julien is as equally acclaimed for his fluent, arresting films as his vibrant and inventive gallery

installations. His installations are presented on an epic scale; poetic and art-historical references are interwoven into frank portrayals of human drama.

“I am proud to be collaborating with PUMA.Creative and the Bass Museum of Art on this solo presentation of my work,” said Julien. “The support I have received from this new partnership has enabled the exhibition to come to fruition and given me the opportunity to present the United States premiere of my new nine-screen installation work, Ten Thousand Waves. The innovative Creative Caribbean Network initiative connects and supports artists of the Caribbean Diaspora and provides a much needed and high profile forum to celebrate our rich artistic output. The Bass Museum of Art’s dedication to realizing this ambitious project has been second to none. Their partnership with PUMA.Creative has proved dynamic and productive and has created a unique platform for this important survey of my work. It is an honor to have my exhibition launch the Creative Caribbean Network.”

“The Bass Museum of Art is pleased to collaborate with Julien and PUMA.Creative on this exhibition. Miami is an ideal platform for the investigation into artists and art forms from the Caribbean and we are looking forward to a rewarding three year experience,” said the Bass Museum’s Executive Director and Chief Curator, Silvia Karman Cubiñá.

ISAAC JULIEN/Creative Caribbean Network commemorates the launch of PUMA.Creative’s online social networking website and cultural directory, www.CreativeCaribbeanNetwork.com. A live and virtual platform connecting the creative world in and outside of the Caribbean, the website and live programs give visibility to the talents working in architecture, dance, design, fashion, film, fine art, literature, music, new media, performing arts and photography. This network will enhance, celebrate and honor existing Caribbean and related cultural networks. As a key tenet of PUMAVision, PUMA.Creative’s formal launch of the Creative Caribbean Network in partnership with the Bass Museum of Art will bring together individual artists and organizations, offering creative exchange and international exposure.

“As a Sportlifestyle brand, PUMA has long standing ties with the Caribbean. Through ongoing PUMA.Creative programs we are dedicated to creating platforms for engagement and generating awareness of the artwork and artists who hail from the region,” said Jochen Zeitz, PUMA Chairman and CEO. We are honoured to work with our friend Isaac, to help commemorate the launch of our partnership with the Bass Museum and promote awareness for the Creative Caribbean Network.”