14 Jul Snorkeling on NE 1st Avenue – New Mural on Wasser Bldg
The HBCRA has added a new mural to the Food, Fashion, Art and Design District (FFADD) – this one being the biggest thus far in that neighborhood! You cannot miss the beautiful underwater ocean scene on the east side of Wasser’s Exclusive Furniture and Interiors building as you turn the corner at the railroad onto NE 1st Avenue (official address 9 NE 1st Ave, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009).
The project was a collaboration between the renowned artists Evoca1 (Elio Mercado) and Daniel Cortez. You will be mesmerized by the seemingly endless passage through the shallow seas as all creatures: sea turtles, anemones, jellyfish, and other aquatic creatures flow on currents down the street.
The site of the mural on Wasser’s building is critical as it is near the entrance of the FFADD, and will be prominently visible to a wide array of visitors and dining patrons as they come to enjoy several new restaurants that will be opening very soon on NE 1st Ave between Hallandale Beach Blvd. and NW 3rd St. The mural is adjacent to several others on the same block, making the entire road a walkable experience in the visual sense.
Almost as interesting as the mural, was the process required by Mercado and Cortez to give it life. The mural took several weeks to transpose from artistic renderings to a detailed half-block width. The artists had to take numerous factors into consideration to make sure that their choice of colors, outlines, and imagery would be vibrant in the midday sun as well as the dusk hours. As the FFADD streetscape slowly comes to life, plans will eventually be in place for modernized street lighting and much more.
Like all murals in Hallandale Beach, this one is intended to evoke something subjective from its onlooker. Perhaps you will enjoy the playfulness of all the creatures and the seascape. There is much to find. Perhaps you will see past the obvious maritime imagery into more mysterious realms of the urban unconsciousness. Or, perhaps you will feel the peace and wonder of the Hallandale oceanfront – the warm, life-rich waters of Florida coastline that makes this community fun and inspiring. It’s for you to determine.