Miami Beach visitors have a new opportunity to experience contemporary Caribbean art as The Betsy South Beach presents From Venice With Love, a hotel-wide exhibition by internationally acclaimed Miami-based Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrie.
On display now through Nov. 15, the exhibition brings Duval-Carrie’s vibrant mixed-media paintings, sculptures, and digital work into the galleries and public spaces of The Betsy, a boutique hotel in the heart of Miami Beach’s Art Deco District. The exhibition is also timed with the artist’s presentation at the 61st International Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
Curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning Haitian-American visual historian and cultural storyteller Carl-Philippe Juste, From Venice With Love explores themes of migration, memory, identity, Vodou symbolism, and the cultural connections between Haiti and Africa. Duval-Carrie is known for using magical realism and layered visual imagery to examine the history and experiences of the African and Caribbean diaspora.
The exhibition opened Aug. 1 with several installations throughout the hotel, including Ode to the Everglades, a monumental lobby display that will remain on view beyond the exhibition’s Nov. 15 closing and through Miami Art Week.
On Aug. 9, the exhibition expanded with 26 illuminated light boxes in BBar and a digital installation on The Betsy Orb, the hotel’s distinctive egg-shaped architectural landmark. The Orb installation is part of the hotel’s recently launched year-round digital art program and features Duval-Carrie’s work reimagined through synchronized projection and music by Juste.
The installation can be viewed from The Betsy’s restored alleyway connecting Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, giving passersby an opportunity to encounter the artwork outside of a traditional gallery setting.
“By transforming so many spaces throughout The Betsy – including the Orb – we’re inviting visitors to become participants rather than observers,” said Juste. “The Orb offers a new interpretation of Edouard’s work, but the technology is never the point. The art comes first, creating opportunities for people to experience it together, eye to eye, and continue the conversations it inspires.”
Duval-Carrie has been an influential presence in Miami’s contemporary art scene for more than three decades. His Little Haiti studio has served as a center for artistic production and cultural activity, and in 2024 he was named Miami-Dade County’s official artist-in-residence.
“We are delighted to feature Edouard Duval-Carrie in The Betsy’s galleries because we love everything about his work,” said Lesly Goldwasser, co-owner and curator at The Betsy. “Edouard’s powerful visual style first delights the eye and also inspires viewers to think deeply about the serious content and message.”
For Duval-Carrie, displaying the work throughout The Betsy creates a different kind of experience than visitors might have in a conventional museum or gallery.
“It’s extraordinary that a hotel lends itself to this kind of production and brings so many partners together,” said Duval-Carrie. “Guests from around the world will encounter these works in unexpected places, giving me an opportunity to share my view of the world and the history of Haiti with audiences who may be discovering it for the first time.”
In addition to the exhibition, From Venice With Love includes free public programming, academic salons, live performances, and cultural conversations focused on Caribbean art, history, and identity. The initiative is a collaboration between The Betsy Writer’s Room and the FIU Public Humanities Lab, with support from the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation’s CreARTE program and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The programming adds a community component to the exhibition, creating opportunities for conversations about the African and Caribbean diaspora and the role those histories have played in shaping Miami’s cultural identity.
As with The Betsy’s other exhibitions and cultural programs, From Venice With Love is free and open to the public. Visitors can experience the artwork throughout the hotel through November 15, with Ode to the Everglades continuing through Miami Art Week.
The Betsy is located at 1440 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.
