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Tika Sumpter covers Miami Living's latest edition. The actress-producer-writer talks about her new hit sitcom, Mixed-ish; Sonic the Hedgehog movie; and her new endeavors: Sugaberry.com and The Suga podcast. "It’s part of this really cool universe, which not only tells something funny, but is also socially impactful --you learn something, but without being beat over the head. I’m just grateful to be part of this planet, of the -ish universe,” says Tika about Mixed-ish. We also have interviews with Penny Dreadful: City of Angels' Adam Rodriguez, The Big Show Show's Allison Munn, and Roswell, New Mexico's Jeanine Mason. There is high fashion, luxury real estate, hot products and more. Click on the cover to launch Miami Living Magazine > Read the latest issue of Miami Living Magazine now!

Back-to-school will look different for students in Miami-Dade County this year (Miami-Dade County Public Schools has announced that the 2020–21 school year will resume virtually full-time), but Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is here to help with its back-to-school in-person virtual learning program! Through this program, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is welcoming its youth members to perform their virtual schooling at its Kendall, Hank Kline, South Beach, and Northwest Clubs, while being supervised by youth development professionals, during the 2020-21 school year. The program is offered to students aged 5–17, and will take place Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., starting Monday, Aug. 31. Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is offering the program to ensure that area youth have access to resources and support that can help bridge the gap for academic, social, and emotional support needed in these uncertain times. The back-to-school in-person virtual learning program also gives parents of youth members the opportunity to go back to work. The program includes activities such as daily virtual school assistance, assignment assistance, STEM, mentoring, sports and games, Teen Center, arts & crafts, homework help, snacks, lunch, recess, and school breaks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing efforts/CDC guidelines, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is offering the program in groups of nine youth members. The organization is monitoring updates from Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and public health officials, and will continue to respond based on their guidelines. In addition, Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is extending its “Virtual Club,” which began at the end of last school year, so that its youth members can participate in fun activities virtually. The virtual programming includes story time, STEM, arts and crafts, physical fitness, yoga, homework assistance, mentoring, social-emotional learning, “virtual get togethers” and much more. All activities are conducted via Zoom and schedules vary by Club and age group. Virtual activities are offered Monday–Friday from 2–6 p.m. in 40-minute sessions. Once the back-to-school in-person virtual learning program fills up, participants will be referred to the “Virtual Club.” Price: Hank Kline and Kendall Clubs: $65 per month, per student South Beach and Northwest Clubs: $50 per month, per student How: To register for the back-to-school in-person virtual learning program, please contact the club you wish to attend: Hank Kline: Arianne Armada, aarmada@bgcmia.org, 305-446-2654 Kendall: Allison Dye, adye@bgcmia.org, 305-279-3013 South Beach: Rony Vera, rvera@bgcmia.org, 305-535-0070 Northwest: Eugene Woody, ewoody@bgcmia.org, 305-758-5753 By ML Staff. Image courtesy of bgcmia

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, back-to-school will look different for students in Miami-Dade County this year (Miami-Dade County Public Schools has announced that the 2020–21 school year will resume virtually full-time), but Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade is here to help with its Remote Learning at Work program. Bringing the Clubs to workplaces in Miami-Dade County, BGCMD is giving area youth the educational and emotional support they need to perform their virtual schooling. Youth members will have equal access to the resources, trusted mentors and safe learning environments necessary for a great future. Through this customizable program, trained Boys & Girls Clubs youth development professionals will provide assistance for children of employees at their work location, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday. This is making it easier for employers to help their employees get back to work by providing BGCMD’s services and trained professionals. Features of the Remote Learning at Work program include: · Assists and guides children with virtual coursework · Academic help when needed · Provides recess and additional structured daily activities · Helps students dedicate appropriate time for learning · Ensures students submit assignments by deadlines · Communicates regularly with parents regarding student progress and concerns to keep children on track · Establishes a working relationship and communication with teachers · Adheres to strict established health and safety guidelines as provided by the CDC and Miami-Dade County officials The afternoon program provides after school program structure. Features include: Homework assistance, mentoring, STEM, and arts & crafts Study time Other educational activities BGCMD is currently accepting new remote learning work locations. A two-month commitment is required and the price is$125 per week, per child with a minimum of 9 children. The work location must provide internet/Wi-Fi access, plus space and furniture to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Parents are responsible for meals and snacks, and students must have their own computer/laptop and headphones. BGCMD is adhering to social distancing efforts/CDC guidelines and monitoring updates from Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and public health officials, and will continue to respond based on their guidelines. For information or to start a BGCMD Remote Learning at Work program, please contact Diana Perez at 305-446-9910 ordperez@bgcmia.org. By ML Staff. Image by Unsplash

Hunks & Heroes: Jim Moore: Four Decades of Fashion at GQ features 250 of Jim Moore’s iconic men’s fashion photographs produced with world-renowned photographers and GQ images of legendary celebrities, athletes, and politicians, including Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake, Roger Federer, Tom Brady, as well as a foreword by Kanye West. Jim has impacted men’s style for nearly forty years during his tenure at GQ as Creative Director at Large. Hunks & Heroes --told and edited by Jim-- highlights how men’s style has evolved over the years as well as his myriad contributions to the fashion industry --discovering new designers, setting the trends... Marvel over four decades of men’s fashion, from iconic looks and memorable GQ covers / editorial shoots to stories about Jim’s incredible influence and keen eye for style. Click to view larger image > Available at Amazon. Words by Vanessa Pascale

Miami based artist Cristina Lei Rodriguez has been commissioned to create a site-specific installation for the Sweetbird Building located in the Miami Design District. The installation consists of five large scale prints on the 2nd floor windows of the wooden clad building. Rodriguez’s art questions what is truly natural in today’s urban world. Additionally, her work is a hybrid of natural and artificial materials and ideas. The images for Digitizing the Phenomena of Nature (Orchids at Sunrise), were created by making compositions of real exotic orchids and local plants from her family garden on top of her scanner bed, which were scanned with the changing light at sunrise. The high-resolution scan captures the plants and the actual sunlight read by the scanner in the moment, creating abstraction and digital interruptions in the images. Living in this moment of tension between the digital and real world, the artist was inspired to try to digitally capture the ever-changing phenomena of nature in an image. ABOUT CRISTINA LEI RODRIGUEZ Cristina Lei Rodriguez (1974) received her BA from Middlebury College in 1996, and MFA from California College of Art in 2002. The objects Rodriguez creates take many forms, but all are made from common materials that are given a new intangible life. Her work is organic and minimalist, yet pristinely finished; echoing a tension between the natural and the artificial. Her art has been exhibited internationally and nationally at museums, institutions and galleries such as the Serpentine Gallery (London), Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York), Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin (Paris, Miami), Team Gallery and Deitch Projects (both New York). Rodriguez’s work is included in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art (Oslo), Perez Art Museum Miami, The Bass (Miami), Boca Raton Museum of Art, NSU Museum Ft. Lauderdale, and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum (Miami). In 2018, the artist published her first monograph “Act Natural: A Retrospective of Work 2003- 2018” with TRA Publishing. Rodriguez has also completed several permanent public artworks in Florida and is currently working on a large-scale tile mural for Art in Public Places Miami. Her work has been reviewed by Modern Painters, The New York Times, Financial Times, Wallpaper, The New Yorker and Arte al Día International. By ML Staff. Art work by Cristina Lei Rodriguez

The haute horlogerie and jewelry houses, Watches of Switzerland Group & MAYORS, recently partnered with Ulysse Nardin to exclusively pre-launch the Executive Skeleton X Limited Edition. The exclusive timepiece debuted August 20th at Watches of Switzerland US, UK and MAYORS boutiques and will be available for only 8 weeks. Bringing this magnificent partnership full circle, The Watches of Switzerland Group & MAYORS are proud to announce its joint-venture partnership alongside Ulysse Nardin with non-profit One More Wave to assist wounded and disabled veterans by enabling them to achieve surf therapy all over the world. Executive Skeleton X Limited Edition Marking the latest addition to Ulysse Nardin’s Executive Collection, the Skeleton X LE is presented on an "alligator" black rubber strap with an 18 ct rose gold 4N tang buckle. Skeleton X LE 42/43 mm plays off the transparency of its powerful movement, to reveal the stunning beauty of the three-dimensional heart beating inside. The exclusive timepiece will launch a limited quantity of 50 pieces total for only 8-weeks, and will retail for a whopping $25,000. Movement: Manufacture Caliber UN-371 manual Manual winding movement 4 Days power reserve 3 Hz Silicium balance wheel, Silicium escapement wheel & anchor Oversized oscillator Case: 42mm diameter, 10.05 mm height Titanium satin-finish black DLC case with Rose Gold 4N bezel Titanium black DLC open sapphire case back Water resistance 50m Dial: Black & Rose Gold 4N Skeleton Dial Index & Hands in Superluminova Strap & Buckle: Black alligator leather or rubber strap Ceramic tang buckle The Watches of Switzerland Group x Ulysse Nardin x One More Wave Partnership The Watches of Switzerland Group is also proud to announce a joint-venture partnership alongside Ulysse Nardin with non-profit One More Wave. One More Wave connects wounded and disabled veterans to a global community of surfing volunteers, enabling them to achieve surf therapy all over the world. The UN x WOSG x One More Wave partnership will consist of 20 surfboards, which will be a Gift With Purchase for the first 20 clients who purchase an Executive Skeleton X Limited Edition. In addition, select Watches of Switzerland and MAYORS boutiques will be displaying Surfboards to be presented alongside Ulysse Nardin vitrines. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Ulysse Nardin

The new LV Volt jewellery collection by Artistic Director, Watches and Jewellery for Louis Vuitton, Francesca Amfitheatrof, puts the spotlight on the capital L and V letters. These iconic initials are a metaphor for movement, an allegory for momentum, an apologia for the essential and a symbol of speed. Together they form an architectural design whose main lines become a unit of measurement in a universal language, whose powerful graphic nature transcends borders and genders. In the first chapter, the L and V are authentically showcased in their pure form. The lines cut through space, creating angles inside, in which brilliant gold and fiery diamonds play off each other. The two capital letters come together, split apart, gather, fall away, contrast, blend, stack up, interact and complete each other, bringing to life a scene of symbols exploring light, space and rhythm through their unexpected yet inextricable resources. The rhythm picks up in the second chapter as the ranges become more intricate. L and V become chain links of myriad textures, volumes, nishes and dimensions. Then, the initials materialize one set after another, emerging as prismatic figures, presenting themselves as tubular structures. The collection comes to an end with an escape from the abstract, as the two letters turn into claws to be stacked on fingers and flow onto bandanas as embroidery in motion. On each piece of jewellery, Louis Vuitton’s craftsmanship gives way to a conversation between precise, clean lines and soft, smooth contours. Overlaying the graphic power of the leitmotif and the bold statement of manifesto, barring no combinations, this decidedly unisex collection draws on the House’s cherished abstract art forms to find its energy, drum its tempo, establish its cadence and refresh its beat. For further information visit www.louisvuitton.com

The Miami Design District recently partnered with nationally recognized project, For Freedoms, to produce a billboard by Haitian-Miami artist Adler Guerrier in the context of Black Lives Matter. Represented by David Castillo Gallery, Adler Guerrier, a Miami native who attended DASH High School, creates visual dialogue between a wunderkammer of materials and techniques--improvising between form and function to effortlessly unsettle space and time as it relates to race, ethnicity, class and culture. The artist, who had a studio in the Miami Design District early in his career, is delighted to return to the neighborhood. Founded in 2016, For Freedoms is a platform for creative civic engagement, discourse and direct action. The initiative supports artists of color across the United States to create artwork on billboards that speak to their identity. For Freedoms’ exhibitions, installations and public programs use art to deepen public discussions on civic issues and core values, and to advocate for equality, dialogue and civic participation. For his billboard, Adler Guerrier designed a Florida landscape pixelated by formal design elements accompanied by poetic text to question ideas of freedom. Adler Guerrier’s For Freedoms billboard will be on display outside the Moore Building (NE 2nd Avenue) through October 31st. FOR FREEDOMS AND ADLER GUERRIER Miami Design District is collaborating with the nationally recognized project ‘For Freedoms’ to produce a billboard by artist Adler Guerrier as a creative response to supporting racial equality. For Freedoms was founded in 2016 by artists Hank Willis Thomas and Eric Gottesman and is a platform for creative civic engagement, discourse and direct action. Inspired by American artist Norman Rockwell’s paintings of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms (1941) - freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear- the initiatives’ exhibitions, installations and public programs use art to deepen public discussions on civic issues and core values, and to advocate for equality, dialogue and civic participation. As a nexus between art, politics, commerce, and education, For Freedoms aims to inject anti-partisan, critical thinking that fine art requires into the political landscape through programming, exhibitions, and public artworks. In 2018, For Freedoms launched the 50 State Initiative: the largest creative collaboration in U.S. history. ADLER GUERRIER Adler Guerrier creates visual dialogue between a wunderkammer of materials and techniques. Guerrier improvises between form and function to nimbly subvert space and time in constructions of race, ethnicity, class, and culture. He calls upon the democratizing nature of collage and the authority of formal composition to designate to art history an axis of contemporary identity critique. Often chronicling the hybridity and juxtaposition in his immediate environs, Guerrier practices a contemporary flaneurie in an impending age of post-demography. Adler Guerrier was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and lives and works in Miami, FL, where he received a BFA at the New World School of the Arts. Guerrier recently had a solo exhibition at Peréz Art Museum Miami, Miami, FL. He has exhibited work at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, FL; The Bass Museum of Art, Miami, FL; Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL; and The Whitney Biennial 2008. His works can be found in public collections including the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, and the Studio Museum in Harlem, NY. His work has appeared in Art Forum, Art in America, The New York Times and ARTNews, among others.

Adrienne Arsht Center is presenting a series of online special performances from Eddie Palmieri, Richie Hell and Elastic Bond and more. Check out some of our favorite events and be sure to save the following dates! SAVE THE DATE On Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Adrienne Arsht Center and Oolite Arts will present an online conversation with and performance by jazz pianist Eddie Palmieri. Part of the series Art Sounds: Improv, the evening will find Palmieri discussing visual artists who have inspired him with his daughter Gabriela Palmieri, an art consultant and former executive with the Sotheby’s auction house. A live performance will follow. Watch the event beginning at 6 p.m. on the Arsht Center’s Facebook page. FROM OUR PARTNERS Earlier this summer, The Rhythm Foundation streamed a concert by Miami-based world-music artist Richie Hell live from the North Beach Bandshell. Hell performed songs from his album, The Gumbo Limbo Experiment, released last month by Miami’s Sweat Records Records. Watch a recording of the concert here. Also, with Miami students returning to school this week (sort of), we wanted to revisit Bed and Roses, playwright France-Luce Benson’s short play about homeless children. Commissioned by City Theatre, the play first appeared on the company’s Short Cuts School Tour. Watch it here. THE ART OF MAKING Choreographer Terrence “TM” Pride is back with another lesson in musical-theater movement. A dancer with Peter London Global Dance Company, an Arsht Center Arts Partner, Pride has choreographed more than 60 shows. Watch his latest video here. LIVING ROOM LIVE This week, we’re offering an encore presentation of Elastic Bond’s “In a Perfect World,” which the “psychedelic tropical soul” duo filmed on a Miami rooftop. Click here to let Sofy Encanto and Andrés Ponce take you higher. VISUAL ARTS AND TOURS Robert Rahway Zakanitch was a founder of the art movement known as Pattern and Decoration, which championed sentimentality, romance and humanity. The works he created for the Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House and Knight Concert Hall possess all those qualities. Part of the Arsht Center’s Art in Public Places program, Zakanitch’s “Hibiscus Grand Curtain” and “Green Lace Scrim” were inspired by the forms and colors of South Florida’s landscape. Peek behind the curtains here. HEART OF ART The Adrienne Arsht Center invites you to celebrate the amazing work of 30 Miami artists selected and commissioned by the Center as part of its Heart of Art virtual program. Working with the theme “Art in the Time of Coronavirus,” artists are sharing their responses to the pandemic. Finished works will appear on the Arsht Center’s Facebook page. Click here for more on the program and for information on how to apply. RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS The arts industry is mobilizing to support artists of all disciplines in this time of need. For a list of emergency grants and other assistance to artists affected by the pandemic, please go here. MAKE A DIFFERENCE During these times, the Arsht Center is still dedicated to enhancing the lives of people from all walks of life through the power of live performing arts. We rely on the generous support of foundations, corporations and individuals like you to sustain the transformational work we do on our stages and in the community. Please consider giving a gift to help us continue to connect our community to the performing arts and to each other.

World Wetlands Day on Feb. 2 marks the date when 18 nations signed the Convention on Wetlands in 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Since that time, scientists have shown that wetlands provide many valuable services, from buffering coasts against floods to filtering water and storing carbon. As the Trump administration moves to strip legal protection from many U.S. streams and wetlands, we offer five articles from our archives describing the many benefits these water bodies provide. 1. Soaking up floodwaters Wetlands line coasts in many parts of the world. They act as natural sponges that soak up floodwaters and absorb force from storm surges, protecting communities farther inland. Working with Lloyds of London, researchers Siddharth Narayan and Michael Beck sought to quantify the value of these functions. Using insurance industry storm-surge models, they calculated that during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, wetlands along the U.S. Atlantic coast prevented more than US$625 million in direct property damage by reducing storm surge. They also estimated that marshes in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey reduced annual losses from flooding during smaller storms by an average of 16%, and up to 70% in some locations. Narayan and Beck see restoring wetlands as an effective way to make coastal communities more resilient against storms and flooding: “Across the United States, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia, coastal communities face a crucial question: Can they rebuild in ways that make them better prepared for the next storm, while also conserving the natural resources that make these locations so valuable? Our work shows that the answer is yes.” Coastal wetlands can extend well inland, transitioning from saltwater to brackish and freshwater. EPA 2. Carbon-rich mud Wetlands store large quantities of carbon in plant tissue and soils. But as climate expert William Moomaw and wetland scientists Gillian Davies and Max Finlayson point out, no global climate change agreement calls for protecting wetlands as a way to slow climate change. And around the globe, wetlands are constantly being drained, diked and paved over. In contrast, forest protection gets a special section in the Paris climate agreement, which offers developing countries incentives to protect and expand tropical forests as carbon sinks. Moomaw, Davies and Finlayson believe wetlands deserve equal attention: “In our view, instead of draining swamps and weakening protections, governments at all levels should take action immediately to conserve and restore wetlands as a climate strategy. Protecting the climate and avoiding climate-associated damage from storms, flooding and drought is a much higher use for wetlands than altering them for short-term economic gains.” 3. ‘Blue carbon’ banks Mangrove forests, which grow in saltwater in tropical regions, are especially effective at locking up “blue carbon” – so called to distinguish it from “green” carbon storage on land. Louisiana State University scientists Robert Twilley and Andre Rovai estimate that “the wood and soil of mangrove forests along the world’s coastlines hold 3 billion metric tons of carbon – more than tropical forests.” Mangrove forest in wetlands of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines.Bonvallite/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA Coastal development is an enormous threat to mangroves, whether for vacation homes in Florida or aquaculture farms in Asia. Twilley and Rovai wanted to pinpoint what type of mangroves were the most effective at storing carbon. By comparing conditions in different settings where mangroves flourish, they determined that river deltas and estuaries offer the best conditions for mangrove growth and carbon uptake: “Overall, mangroves in deltaic coasts such as the Mississippi River delta, the Amazon in Brazil and the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh can sequester more carbon yearly than any other aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem on the globe. These are the world’s blue carbon hot spots.” 4. Mangroves versus marshes Mangroves are actually benefiting from climate change in some regions, such as Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Villanova University biologist Samantha Chapman has found that mangroves are becoming more abundant in these areas, moving into zones formerly dominated by salt marshes, which typically are found in cooler zones. Mangroves protect coasts more effectively against large waves, so this change isn’t necessarily harmful. However, as Chapman says, “It is important to note that marsh plants provide important habitats for numerous species of birds and fish. We don’t yet know how these animals will fare as mangroves replace marshes, nor do we yet understand other downsides of plant range shifts due to climate change.” Moreover, she notes, mangroves are not building new shoreline quickly enough to keep up with sea level rise in all locations. As her findings show, there is still much to learn about how climate change will affect different types of wetlands in various locations. The Trump administration’s changes will limit protection to large bodies of water, rivers that drain into them and some nearby wetlands, leaving many other waters unprotected from pollution or development. 5. Small streams, big roles Wetlands aren’t just found along the coasts. Many major rivers, such as the Colorado and the Mississippi, start as networks of small streams, some of which may flow only during certain seasons or when it rains. But as Colorado State University geoscientist Ellen Wohl explains, a lot happens in these small tributaries and isolated wetlands that affects the larger rivers downstream: “Marvelously adapted organisms in dry streams wait for periods when life-giving water flows in. When the water comes, these creatures burst into action. … Amphibians move down from forests to temporarily flooded vernal wetlands to breed. Tiny fish, such as brassy minnows … speed through breeding and laying eggs that then grow into mature fish in a short period of time.” Brassy minnows, found throughout the northern U.S. and Canada, live in cool, slow-moving streams, creeks, overflow ponds near rivers, boggy lakes and ditches. Ellen Wohl, CC BY-ND Small channels in river networks also harbor microbes that are very good at removing contaminants from the water. And these channels slow down heavy rainfalls, allowing water to soak into the ground and reducing the risk of flooding downstream. Eliminating federal protection for many of these small streams and wetlands, Wohl contends, “will strip rivers of their ability to provide water clean enough to support life, and will enhance the spiral of increasingly damaging floods that is already occurring nationwide.” By Jennifer Weeks. Special thanks to The Conversation for this story. You can support the independent network which provides news by donating today.

Evelyn Bencicova (b. Bratislava, 1992) is a visual creative specializing in photography and art direction. Informed by her background in fine art and new media studies (University for Applied Arts, Vienna), Evelyn’s practice combines her interest in contemporary culture with academic research to create a unique aesthetic space in which the conceptual meets the visual. HOW DOES TECHNOLOGY AFFECT YOUR WORK? Technology influences how we look at the world as well as how we make art. In fact making art is about looking at the world. Technology creates limitations but also possibilities. It determines which visions can become reality. Technology made our wold faster, more global, but also more ignorant and polluted (in many ways). Some would even say that technology made us and what we live in today. In my opinion technology is a tool. It needs to be used, or operated in order to exist. The camera is a tool in photography- it technically takes the picture but the mind behind it creates and the hand sets the camera in motion. Tools are great helpers but I would not let it think instead of me. All my latest projects did not involve the camera, coming from a classical photography background, surprisingly I feel like my practice did not radically change. It remained about creating worlds, telling stories and transforming ideas into visuals. Just the way to do it changed. After all this I do not feel like I abandoned photography- rather it got a new form. Images today sometimes not only move or speak but react and look back on us. This experience was definitely positive and enriched me with new possibilities of how to control- or sometimes loose control over narrative:) It brought many new question and I like questions, especially those I have difficulty answering. What tone of voice is a character using? Is her voice inside of you or far away? How does she come alive? What is actually alive? I always search for new changes and shifts in thinking and this was definitely one of them. DO YOUR PARENTS LIKE YOUR WORK? That probably depends on the project. I feel they see many topics in different way, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but not always pleasant. I very rarely show my work to family, they don’t attend my exhibitions etc. as they have more important things to deal with in everyday life, and if I’m alive and more or less safe they accept what I do, even though they don’t really celebrate it. My parents are quite young but despite that, I grew up in different circumstances, also in a different political regime. They were born into society which offered more stability for the price of freedom. I experience almost zero stability but the chances for personal growth are quite subjective. You can decide what you want to do but you struggle and fight for it every day. They could not decide much, but were promised quite comfortable, secure lives. My parents could not travel freely, I sometimes fly between 5 countries a week. Obviously our lives are quite different. My parents are creative but when they were my age this was something what belonged more to a world of dreams or in best case free-time activities. When I expressed my wish to pursue an artistic career, the reaction was of course to stop fantasizing and go back to reality, to study a course that would bring me a “real job”. I’m not upset because I understand the position they speak from. I am always uncertain, maybe because of my background, if this is going to last and develop. I would never have expected to reach the point I am at right now, in which my imagination, thoughts, research and work are interconnected. At the end what is a “real job”? I have a difficult time calling what I do “work” even though it probably is, but I just enjoy it too much:) HOW DO YOU DETERMINE IF YOUR WORK HAS BEEN A SUCCESS? I don’t know what success is. Despite this expression being so widely misunderstood and manipulated. It is a poisonous idea implied on us, also on me. An idea which is especially difficult to get out of ones mind. I would like to say that success is about being honest with yourself, to follow your true interests and desires with full dedication and passion. For each individual this means something else. I would like to believe that. As I grow up, I try to turn anxiety from lack of external “success” into a search for internal fulfillment. I try and try, every day. In my work I wish to dive deeper rather than jump higher. To not run fast, but to go somewhere, even though the goal of this journey might be very far or even change in the process. I want to find ways to communicate my thoughts, to create impulses for conversation in works both intellectual and approachable. My work probably will not be appreciated by everyone, but even if one person reflects on it and tries to understand, that is a success for me. HOW DO YOU GET YOUR PRACTICE OUT WHEN IT IS STUCK? Is not the artistic practice in large part about being stuck? About looking for answers which cannot be found? For light in the darkness, something outside the void? Sometimes we tend to forget that searching is in the biggest sense, the way. Results does not exist without process. I am always stuck, stuck in my thinking, in memories or fears. Artistic practice is a way to deal with it. To enter the point, in which I feel the most, even if we speak about pain. I seek for inspiration everywhere, all the time. Both outside and inside. I keep my eyes and mind open. My key is not to look at the final outcome, as that can be overwhelming and hard to see, but rather for a missing part. My imagination is fueled by reading, dialogue and also simple observation of the world. Everything can be interesting, if you come close enough. WHAT WAS THE WORST REACTION TO YOUR WORK? Probably no reaction, as for me every type of response is meaningful. If someone hates my work, I find it interesting to talk about the reasons. In fact, mosts my projects are not made to be entirely like-able:) I don’t want to create imagery, which you walk by, swipe through and forget. I want it to stay with the viewer, inside of the mind as a place you come back to and observe again. Often only then do you access the layers beyond what is visible. The first glance is important, because it draws attention but I’m mostly interested in what happens afterwards. Both “like” and “dislike” are starting points for a conversation as they can always be followed by “why?”. What is more problematic, let’s call it “no feelings” is quite common for todays society, which is fed with and a fed up with images. We always look, often we don’t see anymore. Coming from that, any reaction when you stop and think is positive, even when it happens in the most unexpected situations. I work on editorials and commissioned projects which appear on billboards or the pages of magazines. These platforms are more visible and approachable than gallery prints, but are often ignored as they are part of visual pollution, which surrounds us. Despite that, I see it as a great place for spreading a message and challenging the audience (while there is no specific audience, it is everyone) with interesting concepts. Im against elitism in art. Im only agains a superficiality of commerce. There must be a way to connect artists with people, and I mean people who are not only looked at as customers. My goal is to create bridges instead of walls. Coming back to your question, it is fascinating to observe reactions, especially in less staged environment (not just at a gallery opening, but seeing your picture somewhere on the street with a drawing on it or half torn away). The variety of opinions are so wide, every person who looks at a picture sees something slightly different. I believe that it is because we always see ourselves in relation to it, not just the visual alone. Each project has my personal story in it but I prefer to speak about topics in general ways and sometimes leave out parts of the explanation in order to leave things up to interpretation. Asymptote series > Courtesy of Evelyn Bencicova. For more info visit evelynbencicova.com. Follow Evelyn at Instagram and Facebook. Interview courtesy of The Bosco. The creative agency pioneers in delivering unique photo experiences and pushing the creative boundaries. With a team of designers, artists, and engineers The Bosco has delivered creative projects for the biggest brands and agencies around the world.

New modern estate on exclusive and secured Palm Island. Approx. 14,000-SF home on a 32,000-SF lot with 100’ of water frontage. Fully automated smart home with 8 bedrooms and 8 full baths. Large master, movie theater with 132” screen and 11 recliners. Pet Room and staff quarters leading to an ample 4-car garage. Spacious driveway and a separate detached gym, and social room. Gated island featuring playground, tennis and basketball courts. 9 - Beds | 9 - Full Baths | 1 - Partial Baths | 14,000 Sq Ft. Click to view larger image > Price $25,900,000.00 Contact www.sothebysrealty.com