Pilar Zeta Channels Her Ideal Self With 'Future Transmutation' in Miami
Art

Pilar Zeta Channels Her Ideal Self With 'Future Transmutation' in Miami

Every December, Miami Art Week becomes a hub for the global art world to come together and let loose in celebration of the year’s creative accomplishments. This open energy served as a perfect prompt for W South Beach’s 2022 on-site activation with Mambo Creatives. Rising artists Pilar Zeta and Miranda Makaroff were called in to bring their perspectives to the oceanside hotel location, each interpreting the theme of "Transition and Transformation, Freedom and Fluidity" through their own vibrant lens.

Titled "Future Transmutation," Zeta’s bright purpled-colored installation was larger than life, visible from hotel room decks up high, and designed to encourage guests to meditate on their future selves. The Argentinian artist arranged geometric, free-standing sculptures on a fake green lawn to become an altar for elevating our collective and individual consciousness.

Elsewhere on the property, Makaroff presented "An Amphibious Love Affair," which the artist dubbed a "creative intervention" to inspire everyone viewing it to "make their own path and set their own rules." An explosion of color became the backdrop for W guests to lounge around poolside, with neon cabanas, exclusive towels and abstract oceanic creatures floating in the water.

"We could not think of two more dynamic or relevant artists to collaborate with than Pilar Zeta and Miranda Makaroff,” says Carly Van Sickle, Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing, W Hotels Worldwide. "Their bold, yet playful aesthetic as well as the passion they infuse in their work is undeniable."

PAPER caught up with Pilar Zeta after the Basel adrenalin settled down to talk more about her week in Miami and all things "Future Transmutation," below.

How is this installation reflective of your larger perspective as an artist?

This installation reflects my creative universe and aesthetic language, inspired by ancient temples, metaphysical concepts, post-modern architecture and surrealism with a futuristic flair, but diving into a more straightforward direction, with primal structures unified by one single color. It also reflects my evolution as a human being. I’m at a point of change in my life (I recently moved to Mexico City), and I wanted to create an installation that helps people transmute and vibrate on a higher frequency during their periods of change.

For you, what does the work’s title mean, and how is that meaning implemented in the installation itself?

"Future Transmutation" means that now is always the right time to transmute your energy into your ideal future self. The installation serves as an altar for elevating one’s consciousness. It starts with a sundial, a device connected to the sun, which reminds us of the present moment we are living. Moving into the center, 44 tiles float above the garden floor in a checkerboard arrangement, an allegory of the dualities of the self. Guarded by two candles in the center, there is a huge portal. I love portals because they are places that harbor a limit. A space where two things meet, one starts and the other ends. For me, portals symbolize entering new realities, the perfect device to subconsciously change your energy. Life presents many portals, including when we travel and step over a threshold into a hotel room. Travel allows us to transform who we are in those moments. It is a time where one can disconnect and be in the moment.

What is the process for arriving at such a large-scale, physical installation? Does it begin with a render?

It begins with a pencil sketch that is slowly transformed into a render. My goal is to create a digital piece that mimics reality so close that when we create the physical large-scale sculpture, we can’t differentiate the digital from the physical. I love creating the bridge between the two worlds, and when people are experiencing my work, they enter into a fantastic reality leaving behind their known world and comfort zone.

How’d you land on the color purple? Does it have any greater meaning outside of being a really pretty hue?

Purple is the color for transmutation. It’s the conduct between red and blue; right at the center, there is purple. When we see the color purple, we subconsciously associate it with change and transformation. Research says that when we meditate with it, it helps us to change our state of being and our energy, and that’s why I chose it in the work. It’s also my favorite color.

Did the Miami location impact your creative process on this particular project?

I love Miami because it’s very surreal. The weather is always amazing; the sun always shines and puts people in a good mood effortlessly. It was the perfect environment to create this piece because I feel like people already come with a positive attitude. They come to Miami Art Week usually to get inspired. Also, W South Beach was a perfect location because it had this surreal outdoor garden with fake grass that already felt like a render. W and I share many of the same values: inclusivity, curiosity and originality. W is a brand that stands for something and I admire that. People feel welcome at a W and I know they will feel that energy when they explore my installation.

How did you intend for people to experience the installation on-site? There’s a bit of ambiguity with regards to its function.

My goal was for people to experience the work freely. There wasn’t any indication or restriction on how to walk it through. My vision was for people to raise their frequency, whether having fun and taking some photos or having a more meditative experience.

What’s your take on Miami Art Week, after having spent a full week there?

I love Miami Art Week; it's that time of the year when we are approaching the end, but not there yet. It is super intense, but the reward is fantastic because we see the fruits of what's been in the work of everyone for the entire year. I usually come home exhausted, but ultimately inspired and ready to start creating again. Every year it’s a full circle.

What’s your wildest memory from the week?

It's been super rewarding to see so many people coming to experience my work and interact with it. Still, the wildest memory was closing our Hands on Sand opening night with our friends Gottmik, who performed, and Violet Chachki and going to their hotel to undrag and finish the night together at the club with all the boys.

Photos courtesy of Guillaume Roemaet