THE SPANISH MOSS SANCTUARY
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2024
The Spanish Moss Sanctuary is a large-scale Biophilic art installation created by artist Paloma Teppa for Art Basel Miami Beach 2024.
The installation consists of 24 chandelier-inspired aluminum structures covered with 1200 lbs. of live Spanish Moss (Tillandsia Usneoides) and 11 hand-made ceramic pebble stone seats.
Installation Dimensions: Length 44’ x Width 22’ x Height 24’
The Spanish moss utilized in the installation is alive and comes from local growers in Northern Florida. Spanish Moss can be found throughout Florida and the entire southeastern region of the United States, as well as Mexico, Central and South America.
All the Spanish Moss that was utilized in the exhibition was properly treated for possible pests prior to the exhibition.
The Spanish Moss Sanctuary is an invitation to reconnect with nature and the deepest parts of ourselves. In the gentle sway of the moss, suspended in the air, we are encouraged to pause, find stillness, and tune into the rhythm surrounding us. This space becomes a haven of serenity, a place of reflection, reminding us that we are part of something vast, an interconnected web of life that unites us all.
We become participants in a quiet return to simplicity, where time slows and calm takes root. Nature, with its quiet wisdom, teaches us to be present, to listen, and to find peace within through our connection to the world around us.
- Paloma Teppa
