Media Contact:  Marianne Wohlert

Div. Director/Office of Communications
City of Pembroke Pines
954-392-2076   mwohlert@ppines.com

The City of Pembroke Pines and The Frank Present Biological Futurism

PEMBROKE PINES, FL (October 7, 2020) – The Frank Art Gallery and the City of Pembroke Pines present a new exhibition, Biological Futurism, on display virtually from November 5 through December 26. This virtual exhibition is produced in collaboration with South Florida-based art and technology organization, Interactive Initiative. Biological Futurism presents an immersive world inspired by scientific illustration and the adaptive capabilities of nature. Guests can enjoy a 360-degree interactive tour of the exhibition online.

Challenging the divide between art and science, Biological Futurism explores topics of hybridization, environmental biology and cellular interaction through art. It highlights the work of artists Judith Berk King, Georgeta Fondos, Lisa Haque, Andy Lomas, Lisa McCutcheon and Gretchen Scharnagl.

Evoking memories of curio cabinets within archetypal science museums, The Frank reinvents itself as a vast display case brimming with scientific specimens – all of which are imagined, reconstructed, or transformed. Freed from the boundaries of the canvas, biological organisms dance across gallery walls and escape the constraints of time and place. Feathers, shells and delicate tendrils become collaged clues that are draped throughout the gallery space. Inspired by mesmerizing growth simulations, sculptural forms evolve and stretch from floor to ceiling.

“We are honored to share the outstanding works of these artists with a global audience,” said Taryn Möller Nicoll, chief curator of The Frank. “These artists are experts in complex fields such as mathematics, biological science and ecology. We are thrilled to extend the capabilities and scope of their works through digital interventions. Instead of being a placeholder for an in-person show, this virtual exhibition will allow each artist to see their work function differently than it typically does in traditional, physical display spaces.”

Along with a 360-degree tour of The Frank, guests will be able to see high resolution close-up images of each work of art, view video and animation projects, learn about the artists via audio interviews, and view related artist presentations and performances.
In addition to the virtual experience of Biological Futurism, The Frank is offering free, fun and educational virtual workshops, lectures and events for children and adults. For more information, visit thefrankgallery.org/p/other/virtual-classroom.

The Frank is temporarily closed to the public. Admission to online exhibitions is free. For more information, call 954.392.2120, email thefrank@ppines.com or visit thefrankgallery.org. Follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines.

More about the Biological Futurism artists:
Judith Berk King, www.judithberkking.com: an artist and illustrator known for her hyper-realistic zoological and botanical structures that may exist in the present or in the future
 
Georgeta Fondos, www.georgetafondos.com: an installation artist whose work utilizes textiles and fiber to contemplate transformation, emotion and memory

Lisa Haque, www.lisahaque.com: a book artist and papermaker who creates installations that explores the natural world, processes of growth, and decay
 
Andy Lomas, www.andylomas.com: a London-based computational artist, mathematician and Emmy award winning supervisor of computer generated effects
 
Lisa McCutcheon, www.lisamccutcheon.com: a San Francisco artist who constructs large scale collages that prioritize rhythm, fluidity and negative space
 
Gretchen Scharnagl, www.gretchenscharnagl.com: an artist, educator and environmental activist who delves into the ephemeral, art made from debris, and civic action as art.
 
About The Frank
The Frank is a two-story art gallery named after Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank C. Ortis for his decades-long commitment to the cultural arts. The Frank art gallery, located in the Charles F. Dodge City Center, showcases multi-disciplinary inclusive exhibitions to foster connections, initiate cultural change and promote innovation. The gallery’s exhibition and learning space serves as a site of convergence for artists, performers, thought leaders and community members to create partnerships for social engagement, leveraging the power of the arts to create a sense of place.
 
Stay connected and follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines. For more information, call 954.392.2120 or email: thefrank@ppines.com.
 
Funding for this organization is provided in part by Broward County Cultural Division, Culture Builds Florida, Hello Sunny-Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center and Visitors Bureau and National Endowment for the Arts. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida

 #   #   #