Miami Design District Debuts J’OUVERT, a Major Public Art Installation by Zak Ové

The Miami Design District is presenting J’OUVERT: Zak Ové in Jungle Plaza, a large-scale public art installation by British-Trinidadian artist Zak Ové, on view from January 15 through February 9, 2026. The exhibition marks Ové’s first solo presentation in Miami and continues the District’s commitment to free, museum-level public art.

Installed in Jungle Plaza, the project transforms the open-air space into an immersive environment combining two of Ové’s most recognized monumental works. The Mothership Connection (2022), a nearly 30-foot totemic sculpture, draws from African visual traditions and Afrofuturist aesthetics. It is presented alongside Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness (2016), a circular installation of forty graphite figures that emphasizes collective presence and identity within public space.

Together, the works explore themes of ritual, diaspora, history, and visibility, inviting viewers to engage with Black cultural narratives in a communal setting. The installation reinforces the Miami Design District’s role as a platform for international artists working at the intersection of contemporary art and public space.

The exhibition is supported by a series of public programs that extend the experience beyond the installation itself. Activities include an artist-led preview, guided public art tours, hands-on workshops, live music, movement-based events inspired by Caribbean traditions, and an artist talk presented in collaboration with Pérez Art Museum Miami as part of its lecture series.

J’OUVERT is on view daily in Jungle Plaza from January 15 to February 9, 2026, and is open to the public at no cost.

By ML Staff. Photos: Miami Design District.