PASSAGEI

A historic setting for PASSAGE I

The first exhibition in the PASSAGE series will take place at Villa El Palmar—one of Miami Beach’s most distinctive private residences. Built in 1924 in the Mediterranean Revival style, the villa provides a setting where history, architecture and contemporary art enter into a natural dialogue.

Over the past eleven years, its owner, Rubén Mendiola Fernández, has undertaken an extensive restoration of El Palmar as a deeply personal labor of love. Guided by profound respect for the residence’s original Mediterranean Revival character, he has carefully preserved its historic identity while allowing the house to evolve as a place for contemporary life, creativity and cultural exchange.

Original architectural details, including a century-old fireplace, meet contemporary interventions such as onyx inlays set into wooden floors. The interplay of textures, materials and changing natural light creates an intimate environment in which artworks become part of the architecture rather than objects presented against a neutral background.

Surrounded by lush tropical gardens and organized around a secluded swimming pool, El Palmar offers a sense of privacy and distance from the intensity of Miami. Throughout the day, sunlight moves across the interiors, continually transforming the atmosphere and the perception of the works on display.

Presented within a residential setting, the exhibition allows art to be encountered on a more personal scale—among architecture, furniture and the rhythms of everyday space. This intimate format reflects the central idea of PASSAGE: to create meaningful encounters between artists, collectors and invited guests beyond the conventions of a traditional gallery.

Known as a location for film productions, photography sessions and private cultural events, the villa possesses its own creative energy. Its relationship between interior and garden, historic character and contemporary design makes it a fitting setting for PASSAGE I—the inaugural exhibition in the series, featuring works by Aleksandra Prusinowska and Zbigniew Blajerski.

At El Palmar, the exhibition becomes more than a presentation of individual works. It marks the beginning of a curatorial journey in which art is experienced through space, light, architecture and encounter.