The
Absence of Place installation included 180
present-day photographs of places in Miami that no
longer exist, but where memories were created. The
pictures were printed on yellow cardstock, wrapped
in plastic bags and hung on a wall of a building
slated for demolition. Below are a few of the images
of "absent Miami" with corresponding memory as a
caption.
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Nuns taught me to read at this (Gesu Catholic) school.
(NE 1st Ave and 2nd
Street)
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I almost
drowned on this spot.
(Lummus Park at Atlantic Ocean--
before the dredging)
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Lydia was my junior high school prom date to this
(Everglades) hotel on Biscayne Blvd (and NE 4th St). |
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Marcelino and I played kick ball in this baseball
diamond (on SW 4th Ave and 4th St).
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Mo and I pounded drinks at this (The 1800 Club)
bar.
(NE 18th St. & Bayshore Dr.)
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We walked
by this Allapattah meat market on our way to
El Caribe.
(NW 36th St. & 18th
Ave.)
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Charlie
bought bootleg 8-tracks of the Beatles Greatest Hits
at this outdoor flea market.
(Bird
Road and the Palmetto)
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Adolescence found us frolicking through this dense
Australian Pine forests singing Led Zeppelin songs.
(Bear Cut, Crandon Park)
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I bought my
cell phone at this Cingular Store.
(SE 5 St. & Brickell Ave)
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My Silver
Knight interview was in this auditorium.
(Biscayne Blvd. & NE 6th
St.)
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I first drank Vietnamese coffee at this restaurant.
(SW 27th Ave & Coral Way)
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Coach Busch
made us jog through these wooded paths.
(Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami |
I bought the areca palms at
this (Bobby
Maduro) stadium's market.and
them planted in my back yard.
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Parking
was always a hassle at this (Dupont Plaza) Hotel.
(North Mouth of the Miami River)
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We’d stop
here for watermelon and sodas on our way to the
beach.
(Hyde
Park Grocery on 5th & Collins Ave.)
|
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I saw a
naked old man --probably in his 80s-- walk in front of these restaurants in
broad day light.
(20th and Collins Ave, Miami Beach)
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As best
man, I toasted to Jen and Anthony’s marriage at the Brickell Sheraton Hotel.
(SE 5th St & the Bay)
|
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Anibal and
I gave blankets to homeless guys sleeping beneath
these huge pink columns.
(NE 2nd Ave. & 7th St.) |
Mirentxu would
make me fried garbanzos in this Spanish (Centro
Vasco) restaurant
(SW 8th St & 22nd Ave).
|
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John and I threw a can of green paint on this
concrete lions in front of the the ΣAE House.
(University of Miami Fraternity
Row,
San Amaro
Drive)
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At night, we'd play quarters in these UM dorms.
(Residential
apartments, UM Campus)
|
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As kids,
Dad would
take us to this library.
(Biscayne Blvd. & Flagler St.)
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I launched
my political campaign from the steps of this drug
rehab center.
(NE 23rd
Street & 4thAve)
|
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STONE
FOR
SENATE
(NE 2nd Ave. & 2nd St.) |
Marcus and I would work out at this (SportsClub
at the Coliseum) gym (on
Douglas Rd & SW 16th St.)
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The three
of us shared the bedroom in the back of this house .
(Our first home here: 3701 NW 19th
Ave). |
After Mass, we'd drink hot chocolate and eat donuts
at this (Velvet Creme Doughnuts) shop.
(SW 8th Street and 34th Avenue) |
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I once watched a movie depicting a Plains Native Sun
Dance (bloody) Ceremony in this Drive-in Theater.
(Bird Road & the Palmetto Expressway)
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We'd drink (beer) and talk politics at this Elks
Lodge.
(on Giralda in the Gables)
|
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We'd run our radio marathons live from this (Radio
Mambi) Cuban radio station.
(Coral Way and 30th Ave) |
We tapped Tony
Segreto into Iron Arrow live on the set of this TV
station.
( 3rd St & North Miami Ave.)
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Freddie
would lead us in singing crude songs at Sid’s Piano Bar.
(SW 67th
Ave. & Bird Rd.)
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They’ll never
destroy the
Brickell Ridge.
(SW 1st Ave & 10th
Street,
one block south of my studio) |
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Firestone
(SW 12th
Ave. & Flagler St.) |
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