Flores De Cocuyos: About

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The Cocuyos, or click beetles, bring mysterious light into the night sky. Similarly, our community elders’ knowledge and experience, lead us into new realms. In this mural, humble insects have arranged themselves to form 40 beautiful flowers.

TEMPLATE_1Xavier Cortada, “Flores De Cocuyos,” ceramic, 2013
A public art project at Joe Moretti Apartments (Miami-Dade Housing Authority), Miami, FL

Artist’s Statement

The Joe Moretti building is tucked between second Avenue and I-95. It’s a large tower that serves as home for dozens of elderly who spent their lives giving – raising families, working really hard. And now this is the place where they’ve come to rest during their golden years. I want to thank them by creating an installation that honors them every time they walk into the building.  An installation that references the light that they radiated, the knowledge that they delivered, the years of love they’ve shared with their families and community. So, I have created a selection of flowers made of scores of ceramic sculptures of insects from my youth growing up nearby.

I remember as a child looking up at the night sky and seeing a green glowing light moving around and I was fascinated by it. That glow that drew me to gaze into the darkness with awe and bewilderment was created by the bioluminescent click beetles or cucuyos. It was like watching candles in a procession, but more whimsical.

Seeing a swirl of light in the night sky today evokes spiritual, even mythical associations. I can think of no better way of thanking someone for the knowledge – the light they have within them and the light that they shared – than by creating an installation of this very humble but radiant creature.

So the entrance of the Joe Moretti building now has dozens of flowers, all made of Cocuyo sculptures.  It’s called Flor de Cocuyos. Each petal of the wildflowers is created by a different representation of a Cocuyo.  And each flower is composed of five individuals coming together – much like these elderly came together to create their families and are now creating community in this building. They remain individuals, but gather and bloom in these later years of life. The artwork conveys environmental concerns but also shows gratitude to the residents of the building.