Forget building sandcastles – Chilean artist Sebastian Errazuriz takes fantasy beach architecture in a whole new direction by constructing a sand maze on the shores of Miami Beach.
The installation is dubbed Maze: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self and is constructed with tall, sand-covered panels on the beachfront behind the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. The artwork is conceived as an all-encompassing experience that helps the user ‘find ourselves’ and spark conversations around community building.
Says Errazuriz: ‘[It’s] an oasis to temporarily escape, disconnect and reconnect with what is important. A place to have conversations on society’s upcoming technological and environmental challenges.’
The towering framework is designed to discombobulate the user by framing views of the sky while obscuring artificial landmarks from view. But rather than simply getting users ‘lost’, the structure encourages users to look inward and follow the path ahead, with all paths ultimately leading to a central nucleus – a public plaza conceived for contemplation and conversation.
Errazuriz created the maze using AI platforms Midjourney and DALLE2, bringing fantasy metaverse architecture into the real world.
‘Sebastian Errazuriz – Maze: Journey Through the Algorithmic Self’ is open to the public until 10 December 2023 at Faena Beach
