Bronze Foundry Art Fundation is deeply invested in the promotion and education of bronze casting art, serving as an educational hub for artists and the wider community.
We offer training to refine casting techniques, provide a platform for artists to collaborate and display their work, and organize events to engage a broader audience. As such, we play a pivotal role in the artistic and cultural development of our community, cultivating a new generation of skilled bronze casting artists and fostering a greater appreciation for this art form.
In early 2023, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas established the Bronze Art Foundry Foundation. Leonardo Rodríguez, founder and chairman of the Board, proposed the innovative idea of transforming two-dimensional artworks from the museum's collection into three-dimensional sculptures using traditional bronze casting techniques. After the proposal was approved, the museum partnered with a specialized workshop with the goal of producing between twelve and fifteen original sculptures in the shortest possible time frame. Consequently, MoCA-Americas began to develop a unique secondary collection, distinguished by its focus and characteristics, making it virtually exclusive in South Florida.
With an average production time of thirty days per sculpture, the workshop has completed ten so far and is currently working on two more. The museum already houses sculptures by artists Luis Cruz Azaceta, Ivonne Ferrer, Carlos Enrique Prado, Noel Dobarganes, Néstor Arenas, Ciro Quintana, Reynerio Tamayo, and Esterio Segura. These works are permanently displayed on the mezzanine of the museum's temporary exhibition hall.
This initiative conceptually offers, first and foremost, the opportunity to explore and experiment with the additional dimension that sculpture brings to its two-dimensional originals. Both creators and viewers can discover new facets of the original work, revealing details and textures that might have remained unnoticed. This complex process involves reinterpreting the essence of the original work and also allows for the freedom to add elements or adaptations that amplify its artistic message and intention. Furthermore, the use of advanced 3D modeling programs enables resizing, providing exceptional versatility. Consequently, the sculptural pieces can be cast in sizes that meet current demands or intended purposes, ranging from domestic works to large public monuments. This adaptability provides an opportunity for the artworks to be integrated into different environments and become focal points within the community. Considering the potential and likely public exposure, these art pieces have the power to enhance urban environments, foster cultural dialogue, and promote a sense of identity and belonging in the community. The domestic-sized reproductions, meanwhile, would allow a much larger number of people to enjoy and engage with art in their everyday lives.
Above these technical considerations, the unquestionable quality of the work of the artists selected endures. In some ways, these pieces might even surprise the creators themselves, as it's normal for their creative processes to follow different paths: starting from three-dimensionality without fully realizing the mental transition that this particular methodology entails. Preserving the spirit of the collection and the symbolic stature of each creator, the sizes of the sculptures have been standardized, and all have been given similar resources. These pieces, precisely because of the way they were conceived, are a genuine and almost pure expression of each artist's style, something that is remarked upon by the artists and specialists alike. In short: the most interesting and unique aspect of this project is precisely the procedural factor in the conception of each work and its potential projection into the community in terms of integration into the urban environment.
