Artists Antonia Wright and Rubén Millares have unveiled a poignant installation titled "Exile" at the Piero Atchugarry gallery in Miami’s Design District. The centerpiece is an authentic 'balsa' (raft) recovered from the shores of Key Biscayne, featuring a 1942 Chevrolet engine and metal barrels marked with the logo of Cuba’s state beekeeping company. The artists preserved the vessel's original state, adding only interior lighting to highlight bullet holes and a soundscape of the roaring sea to immerse viewers in the harrowing experience of Cuban migrants.
The exhibition serves as a "monument to courage," highlighting the desperate lengths individuals go to for freedom and the creative ingenuity required to build such vessels. By presenting a real artifact of migration rather than a replica, the work bridges the gap between contemporary art and political reality, forcing a confrontation with the unresolved fates of those who attempt the dangerous crossing from Cuba to Florida.