Miami Metrorail Pillars Turned Into Giant Dominoes & There's A Mystery To Be Solved
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Coral Gables has a new art installation that does not involve colorful umbrellas but it is still fun to take a selfie. This one involves giant dominoes.
Coral Gables artist Bo Droga is turning the concrete pillars under the University Station Metrorail tracks in Coral Gables into parallel rows of giant dominoes.
The art installation is called "Concrete Landscapes Miami," located off Stanford Drive and Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
While the giant dominoes are fun to look at and a true tribute to the game's popularity here in South Florida, there is also a mystery.
Droga says there is a message in the pattern of numbers and he wants people to try to figure it out.
When asked how he selected the domino patterns, Droga responded, "Ah! I can't tell you that. People will need to figure it out."
He is challenging those who visit the installation to figure out the secret domino pattern.
Droga is creating his dominoes installation in two phases.
The first phase is of 24 columns north of the University Metrorail station, and the second of another 24 columns south of the station. Droga is painting dominoes on both sides of each column.
"I saw this and thought, 'What a fantastic canvas!' Dominoes is a very popular game, not only in Miami, but throughout the world," Droga said. "You can talk to anyone, from a child to an adult, and they'll all tell you about their games of dominoes. It (dominoes) crosses all cultures. It crosses all ages. There are no boundaries with this art piece."
Drogo is transforming the pylons into playful, realistic domino game pieces with help from volunteers: Moms who work with him from about 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. Droga said the women, who were all professionals from Paris, France, all met at a yoga class.
"I want to definitely thank the 'A Team.' They are all heroes," Droga said of his volunteers.
Drogo worked with Miami-Dade County's Department of Transportation and Public Works for months to get the proper approval and prep work completed.
County officials say projects like Droga's create an opportunity for transit riders to engage with transit in a fun, interactive way that makes their commute on public transportation even more enjoyable.
Droga is doing the work for free. He received $2,500 through the Ellies Award, a Miami visual arts award from the ArtCenter/South Florida (now Oolite Arts) and the Miami Foundation plus received donations.
Droga said his sculptural and site-specific artworks stem from his interest in urban landscapes, specifically in the study of the relationship between order and chaos across urban developments. The Miami Dominoes piece is part of his Concrete Landscapes series for urban spaces.
