What’s News In This Story?
–A massive, 13 foot golden shark racing down Biscayne Boulevard on a recent afternoon was a bizarre sight, even judging by Miami standards.
-We followed it just to figure out where the heck the thing was going.
-The journey took us to a series of renovated warehouses near the railroad tracks on NE 59th St in Miami.
-We learned the shark was created by Miami artist Hamilton Aguiar.
-The shark was installed at J. Steven Manolis’ gallery in Miami’s Lemon City section and it is for sale for a cool $125,000
-The shark is a spoof by Aguiar of the well known Damien Hirst piece, “The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living”.
–Aguiar on his inspiration: “I play with the opposite of the materials. So the [Hirst] shark was a real shark that rotted so I did the opposite. I did a handmade sculpture in gold leaf so it’s supposed to be eternal.”
-Manolis moved to Miami after a career on Wall Street.
-While climbing up the corporate ladder and becoming the youngest partner in Solomon Brothers history, Manolis also followed another calling-his love of art.
-For over 35 years, he received one on one lessons from Wolf Kahn, one of the best known colorists in the world.
-He opened his gallery in 2014 and he really loves Aguiar’s shark. “This is $125,000 and cheap at half the price,” Manolis said.
RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital news magazine. Follow us on Facebook to make sure you never miss a story!
Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it on in to [email protected].
What Do You Think?
-
Kim Badawi: The Stories Behind The Lens
With every click of his camera, Kim Badawi captures the untold stories of the human experience.
Because of a series of tweets, his role as the artful observer was reversed, thrusting him into the media spotlight and unearthing all that is to be admired about the photojournalist.
Badawi was recently traveling from Brazil to Miami to be reunited with his family and friends for the holidays. Upon entering Miami International Airport, he was detained for 10 hours without being allowed to contact his partner who was awaiting his release to board another flight.
Confused and distraught, he was forced to justify his personal contacts, emails, photos and whatsapp messages dating back to 10 years ago. He articulated the officers lacked sensitivity and reason during the investigation.
TSA officers were asked numerous times by Badawi if he needed to contact a lawyer, but they insisted that he would not be with them much longer.
After the officers discovered he was of Arab decent, they began to probe Badawi, an American citizen, about his religious practices.
“Me and my partner have suffered nightmares of being in an airport after the whole ordeal,” Badawi told Rise News. “The next day I woke up hoping that none of the things that occurred had actually happened.”
Read More: American Photojournalist Interrogated For 10 Hours In Miami Airport Because He Was Of Arab Descent
Though Badawi was unlawfully detained in the United States, he has a long history of telling narratives of those searching for freedom through his photographs.
He stumbled into photojournalism while staying with his grandparents in Egypt where coincidentally the Tahrir uprising was gaining force.
Badawi was already a well-known international photographer at the time but had little experience in journalism. His phone started to ring with calls begging for photographs on the frontlines as Egyptians revolted for a new and just government
“During the revolution, the people, especially the younger generation, really felt like anything was possible,” Badawi said.
LOOK: The Egyptian revolution through the lens of Kim Badawi
By timing and chance, Badawi was catapulted into the world of photojournalism.
He jokes that his career has evolved through stories adventitiously unfolding once he arrives in a new country.
Recently Badawi has been developing a photography project focusing on Syrian refugees in Brazil.
The globetrotting photographer captures the sensitivity of each moment as the refugees enter and adapt to their new home. He describes the clash of two worlds as the refugees struggle with the relaxed and youthful country of Brazil that is in juxtaposition to the conservative and religious state of Syria.
Through his project, he also realized a troubling truth about the younger generation of Syria.
“They reminisce about places and people as if they were much older than they are,” Badawi said.
As Badawi tells it, for the refugees he has met, cafes, stores, and even homes that held sentimental meaning are now but distant memories of what was. Now they have found refuge in an unfamiliar country, left to pick of the pieces of their fragmented lives.
Badawi said that he understands that Syria’s past and the refugees themselves have been misrepresented in today’s media. He is hopeful that through his photography he can educate the masses through honest portrayals of what it looks and feels like to be a refugee.
Badawi may have found media attention through his unfortunate experience at the Miami airport but the real headlining story lies with how this photographer is impacting the perception of the Middle East.
Through outlets such as CNN, Le Monde, and The Wall Street Journal, Badawi has reintroduced viewers to the high intensity situations that flood the media through portraits of humans attempting to live normal lives amongst the chaos and conflict.
Have a news tip? Send it to [email protected]. Like to write? You can become a Rise News contributor.
What Do You Think?
-
How To Prepare For Hurricane Irma
Many people in South Florida have never experienced a Hurricane before.
The last big storm to hit the region was in 2005, so it has been a long time.
We’ve put together a simple video that includes the basics you need to prepare for Hurricane Irma:
Stay with Rise Miami News over the coming days as we cover Hurricane Irma’s impact on South Florida.
Here’s some additional links that may be helpful in preparing for Irma:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/six-ways-to-prepare-for-tropical-storms-hurricanes-atlantic-season/46771146
https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes
NEVER MISS A STORY! LIKE RISE MIAMI NEWS ON FACEBOOK
What Do You Think?
-
This Former NFL Great Called Cam Newton “Boy” In A Truly Disgusting Tweet
After walking out of a post game press conference in the aftermath of losing the Super Bowl, Cam Newton was attacked on Twitter by a former NFL player in a fashion that many believe was racially driven.
Bill Romanowski, a longtime NFL linebacker who played for four team and won the Super Bowl four times over the course of a 15 year career called Newton a “boy” after bashing his behavior in the post game press conference.
Newton refused to answer some questions and answered others in one word.
Here’s the tweet in full: (as saved by someone before Romanowski deleted it)
Welcome to 2016 @billromanowski, where deleting your racist tweet doesn’t mean we don’t see it. pic.twitter.com/JL2CxLy48l
— Miss Dimplez (@MissDimplez) February 8, 2016
It is not the first time that Romanowski has shown hostility towards Newton.
In an interview with Bleacher Report, Romanowski said that if he were still in the league that he would try to hurt the Carolina Panthers quarterback.
“Are you kidding me?,” Romanowski said in the interview. “I’d hit him as hard as I possibly could, and probably at the bottom of the pile I’d try to get him by the neck and choke him. Hopefully he can’t breathe for a long time.”
After facing a storm of backlash on Twitter, Romanowski deleted the tweet where he called Newton “boy” and sort of apologized for it.
Calm down everyone! I meant he needs to grow up!
— Bill Romanowski (@billromanowski) February 8, 2016
I apologize for that remark ‘boy’. It was not intentional or even trying to disrespect others. Peace everyone.
— Bill Romanowski (@billromanowski) February 8, 2016
Newton and his Panthers were defeated by the Denver Broncos 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
WATCH: Cam Newton walks out of Super Bowl post game press conference.
Cover Photo Credit: Screengrab/Twitter
What Do You Think?