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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Lee Ortega, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Phone: 305.673.7530
Fax: 305.673.7062
E-mail: lortega@bassmuseum.org

MIAMI BEACH, FL - (May 1, 2006) - The Vodou Pantheon is a mixed media installation that is comprised of seminal paintings that are part of the Bass Museum of Art's permanent collection. This installation, on view for the first time in Miami, showcases both historical and contemporary interpretations of some of the Vodou Iwa (spirits) forming a religion that grew out of a combination of African, native Arawak, and Roman Catholic religious beliefs.

Each bronze sculpture represents a named spirit who is characterized by their specific traits. The four paintings represent the spirits in human form, moving from Haiti to other parts of the world, from the time of slavery to the present. In contrast to the bronzes, Duval-Carrié's paintings show the often turbulent side of moving between cultures. In Le Départ (The Departure) and La traverse (The Crossing), the deities in their human forms have been enslaved and are being shipped against their will to other lands. The spirits are followed by Baron Samedi (Bawon Samdi), chief of the spirits of death. He appears in his characteristic top hat in L'emprise du funeste baron (Influence of the Disastrous Baron).

In contrast to the earlier involuntary removal of people from their homeland, Duval-Carrié ends the narrative with a painting of a contemporary, unwanted return in Le monde actuel or Erzulie interceptée (The Real World or Erzulie Intercepted), Erzulie, the Vodou goddess of love, descends the steps of the ship back to her homeland of Haiti, escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

This installation was first featured in a special exhibition during the Atlanta Olympics and the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1996 and is being brought together in Miami for the first time. A color publication is available for purchase.

The Haitian Spirit programs are partially sponsored by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Adorno & Yoss, P.A. Employees Charitable Trust Foundation, Inc, Friends of the Bass Museum., Inc,. and The Haitian Cultural Arts Alliance.

Bass Museum of Art
2121 Park Avenue (in Collins Park), Miami Beach, Florida 33139 T: 305.673.7530 F: 305.673.7062
www.bassmuseum.org

General Admission $8 adults, $6 seniors/students. THIS EXHIBITION IS FREE FOR MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS AND MEMBERS OF PARTICIPATING HAITIAN ORGANIZATIONS. Free, members & children under 6. Group discounts available.

Museum Hours and Docent Tours
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm, closed Mondays and holidays. Docent tours every Saturday (except holidays), 2 pm; free with museum admission.

Bass Museum Shop
An eclectic selection of art, architecture and photography books; folk art from around the world; one-of-a-kind decorative and gift items; jewelry by local and international artisans; postcards; and educational toys. Open during museum hours.

Parking
Metered parking lot on site. Additional metered parking is available on perimeter streets. Discounted parking available at the 20th Street Garage (one block west of Collins) with museum validation. Beyond two hours standard rates apply.

The Bass Museum of Art receives both public and private general operating funding. Major support comes from the City of Miami Beach, with the support of the Mayor and Commissioners of the City of Miami Beach and Friends of the Bass Museum, Inc. This project is also supported by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts; and the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program and Cultural Arts Council.