Feels Like 97°

Under the cloudless South Florida sky, drops of golden light kiss bare skin: toasted and warm to the touch. Cold water bottles mimic the perspiration of people making their way through thick humidity, quickly turning from cool to warm.

Feels Like 97° is an exhibition exploring photographic and video work produced under the warmth of South Florida’s sun. The compulsion to focus on South Florida comes from not only the dreamlike imagery but an opportunity to look at the diversity and socio-economic divide that exists in a community fraught with the effects of climate change and gentrification. Two things that further complicate the already present issues of class and race.

The title speaks to jargon used by news sources to articulate the experience of leaving cool air-conditioned environments to face the predictable but harsh conditions outside. From King of Diamonds to the damp swamps of the Everglades, Feels Like 97° is a heartfelt look at home, curated by a Florida girl.