In Miami Beach, an Immersive Street Art Display Pays Tribute to the Colorful Drag Scene
A dazzling celebration of Miami Beach's vibrant drag scene: Avaf's art collective presents a captivating street art installation Colorful drag queen portraits suspended over Española Way, capturing the essence of this energetic district A must-see ode to the spectacle of drag
Miami Beach, Florida has recently unveiled its newest public art installation, "Adora Vanessa Athena Fantasia," which pays tribute to the art of drag. This vibrant series of aluminum panels, situated over Española Way shopping district, features kaleidoscopic portraits inspired by local drag queens, including the four who inspired its title: Adora, Athena Dion, Fantasia Royale, and Tiffany Fantasia. Accompanying the panels is a 30-foot-tall mural depicting dramatic manicures, doll-like eyelashes, and full, pouty lips. Persephone Von Lips, one of the eleven queens who inspired the installation, describes these elements as a kind of armor, expressing, "The hair, the makeup, the nails, the whole getup - when I put them on, I can walk down any street and feel the most beautiful and most confident I've ever been."
The surreal portraits depict drag queens posing with their own reflections. "Adora Vanessa Athena Fantasia" was created by the artist collective Assume Vivid Astro Focus (AVAF), renowned for their diverse installations and vibrant use of color. Commissioned by the City of Miami Beach, the piece is the newest addition to Elevate Española, a public art project launched in 2021.
The Brazilian artist Eli Sudbrack, who established AVAF in New York around 20 years ago, aimed to honor Miami Beach's vibrant drag scene. His inspiration stemmed largely from a law signed by Florida governor and Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis in April, which aimed to restrict drag performances in the state.
Referred to as the "Protection of Children Act" by its proponents, the law posed a threat to venues that allowed children into "adult live performances"a term widely interpreted to include dragwith fines, misdemeanor charges, or the loss of liquor licenses. In June, a district judge halted the law temporarily, citing concerns that it would "silence the voices of drag queen performers," and in November, the US Supreme Court rejected the state's request for a partial stay. Nonetheless, lawyers for the DeSantis administration are working to overturn the temporary halt of the law in a federal appeals court.
"Energizing the viewer always seems to be the intention of drag performances and that is also an important feature in our work," explained AVAF's Eli Sudbrack in a statement.
The City of Miami Beach Communications Department
In the US, several other states have tried to pass laws similar to this, making drag a focal point in the broader cultural battle against LGBTQ rights.
"Theres still a fear in the back of our heads: What are they going to do next?" said Von Lips.
The spectacle of drag
Historically, the drag community has given refuge to trans and queer people rejected by society or their families, she added, "and I just think its insane that people are trying to take that away from us."
AVAF was selected for the Elevate Española commission earlier this year. Sudbrack, based in New York, conducted online research and reached out to Tiffany Fantasia, a veteran of the Miami drag scene, to learn more about the local community. The artist also asked a friend in Miami to provide a list of iconic performers from both the South Beach and Downtown Miami scenes, which ultimately included the aforementioned queens, as well as Karla Croqueta, Juice Love Dion, Lady Paraiso, Power Infiniti, Regina Black, and TP Lords.
Using the queens' Instagram accounts as a reference, Sudbrack stated, "I started making drawings out of details of their personas: (the) makeup, lipstick, wigs, and nails, so that the central panels are a mixture of different drag queens put together as a super powerful image." The composite portraits of each panel represent the overall community rather than individuals, energized by the psychedelic hues and patterns for which AVAF is known.
Details from AVAF's mural, which covered buildings and storefronts across a city block.
City of Miami Beach Communications Department
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Painted in graphic, fluid lines, the mural presents an abstract interpretation of signature drag style tropes.
City of Miami Beach Communications Department
Sudbrack's mural utilized the color scheme of the Progress Pride flag. The artwork focused on the distinctive features of individual drag queens, such as the faces of Athena Dion and TP Lords, or the manicured hands of Regina Black, portrayed in a cartoonish graphic style. Sudbrack emphasized the importance of honoring the practice of drag in Miami, stating, "Our own practice has always been about self-expression and freedom, and the artistry of drag is about that--to be whoever you want to be."
Lissette Garcia Arrogante, director of tourism and culture for the City of Miami Beach, stated that AVAF was the perfect selection for the commission, praising "the vibrant and lively colors in their artwork."
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez also expressed pride in Miami Beach as a welcoming LGBTQ destination where the drag scene continues to thrive despite challenges in Florida. He noted that the artwork reflects the city's commitment to diversity and its resistance to any efforts to diminish the community's spirit.
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Tiffany Fantasia (pictured out of drag) and Eli Sudbrack pose together at the installation's unveiling.
The City of Miami Beach Communications Department reported that Tiffany Fantasia expressed confidence in her right to continue performing in drag, despite the governor's efforts. She stated, "Anything is possible with these extreme Republicans, but we all know at the end of the day, it is not constitutional for them to do this type of stuff. It's a violation of freedom of expression."
At the Tuesday unveiling, she posed for pictures beneath the installation, announcing to the small crowd, "Thats me, yall!"
