In the heart of Coconut Grove is Miami’s first-ever interactive mural, a new addition to a community that is so historical and going through many changes. With the decrease in nightlife due to changes in alcohol laws and increase in construction due to what will be the new CocoWalk, ALIVE may be the first breathe of fresh air in the area.
Swipe to see the different between day and night
So what exactly is it?
While it’s beautiful during the day, it really comes alive at night where you can touch various sensors to activate different parts of the mural. If you touch the lizard’s eye, for example, you get his tongue sticking out. Touch the middle of a flower on the bottom left corner, and a little bird comes to suck the nectar out of it. If a large group of people are walking in front of it, it is triggered to start chaotically raining.
“Miami has become a mecca for graffiti,” says London street artist Graeme Brusby. “My style is natural elements and the natural world and we wanted to size it here.”
Together with James Brazil, an architecturally-trained, Australian designer, said they were inspired by the community and botanical gardens in the area to create this mural. Brusby provided the art and Brazil the technicalities of it. This will be Brazil’s third project in the area.
At first glance, it looks like a dream from Alice in Wonderland. The more you interact with it is when you see that it is so much more.
The mural took about three weeks to install, and about three months in development. It was Coconut Grove’s idea to use the iconic Coconut Grove Laundry & Cleaners building as a perfect location for the mural.
“This laundry store has been here for 50 years and generation after generation, people keep coming here to work or do their laundry,” said Nicole Singletary, executive director for Coconut Grove Business Improvement District. “On this corner alone, hundreds of people walk this street so this is the perfect way to make this area come to life.”
Not even the owner of the laundry store remembers the last time it had a touch up.
While they were creating the mural, Brusby and Brazil were surprised that so many locals have been excited to see someone "bring back the culture" into Coconut Grove.
Perhaps the Grove now has its own version of #UmbrellaSky so it's just a question of whether you're taking your picture during the day or night.
3101 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove, Miami
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