The Betsy – South Beach, a boutique Michelin Key hotel internationally recognized as a gathering place for arts, culture and community, has installed a permanent, state-of-the-art projection system for “The Betsy Orb,” launching a year-round digital public art program that will showcase commissioned digital works by global contemporary artists.
Designed by architect Allan T. Shulman and Betsy co-owner Jonathan Plutzik, the Orb reflects a dual commitment to preservation and contemporary design. It was created during the hotel’s 2016 expansion, which united the historic Betsy Ross and former Carlton hotels. Tucked away between Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue in the restored alleyway at 14th Place, the egg-shaped structure functions as a sculptural installation, an interior gallery space and a functional bridge connecting the two buildings – now expanded with the introduction of state-of-the-art immersive digital projection capabilities, advancing The Betsy’s longstanding commitment to public art as an important element of its cultural initiatives.
The Christie Jazz Series 1DLP laser projector delivers 17,800 lumens of high-contrast, deeply saturated color- approximately nine times more powerful than a standard home projector. The system is precisely calibrated to the Orb’s spherical geometry, allowing artworks to conform seamlessly to its curvature. The result is a striking visual experience in which projections appear contained entirely within the structure, without spillover onto the buildings on either side. Artists working across immersive media blend digital technology, sculpture, performance and sound to create works that envelop viewers.
Housed within a custom-designed enclosure, the remotely operated projector enables continuous programming and flexibility for artists working across mediums. Each participating artist receives a detailed digital template reflecting the Orb’s dimensions, allowing them to create or adapt work specifically for the surface. Final pieces are mapped, tested and reviewed before debuting in the space. Projections on the Orb will be on view 365 days a year, and, like all exhibitions, galleries and cultural programming at The Betsy, are free and open to the public.
The next projection to debut on the Orb will be “The Gooooaaaaal is Love,” a monumental cinematic work by local transmedia artist dNASAb, presented by The Betsy in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreARTE program and on view throughout June and July.
Inspired by the upcoming FIFA World Cup games in Miami, the immersive installation explores the passion and emotional mythology of the world’s most beloved sport through a hybrid cinematic language merging live-action filmmaking, generative media and immersive storytelling strategies.
The initiative is spearheaded by Lesley Goldwasser, co-owner and art curator of The Betsy, in collaboration with her husband and co-owner, – Plutzik, and supported by an advisory group of community and cultural leaders. Advisory members include Deborah Plutzik Briggs, vice president of arts and community at The Betsy; Juan Carlos Zaldivar, an award-winning filmmaker and video artist; and Michael Rossi, founder and CEO of Lumina Productions.
“The Orb presents a remarkable curatorial opportunity, allowing The Betsy to champion the emerging power of digital immersive art and move the hotel’s longtime gallery program outside into the light,” said Goldwasser.
“We are excited to work with our local foundation partners, the Jorge Pérez Family Foundation and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, commissioning one of the region’s outstanding emergiig visionaries in this space to celebrate the FIFA World Cup – on a canvas shaped like a soccer ball!” added Plutzik.
While the Orb has previously hosted temporary, award-winning projections as part of the City of Miami Beach’s “No Vacancy” public art program, this permanent installation marks a significant evolution—transforming a periodic activation into an ongoing platform for artistic exchange. Past commissioned artists for the Orb include Carlos Betancourt, Sri Prabha, Nuria Richards, dNASAb and Liz-N-Bow.
Confirmed artists for 2026 include:
- June & July – Local transmedia artist [dNASAb] presents “The Gooooaaaaal is Love” in honor of the FIFA World Cup games in Miami, presented in partnership with the Knight and Perez Foundations.
- August – Digital artist and curator Carl Phillipe Juste will collaborate with Miami-based internationally acclaimed artist Edouard Duval-Carrié, who was recently selected to represent Haiti at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The duo will create a projection inspired by his ‘Global/Borderless Caribbean’ exhibition, which spotlights artists from the Caribbean and explores themes of migration and identity.
- October – RISD-trained motion designer Laura Paresky Gould, the talent behind Miami Color Theory will debut a new work.
- November – Filmmaker and video artist Juan Carlos Zaldivar presents new work based on Hummingbird.
- December – The Betsy will partner with the City of Miami Beach’s No Vacancy program to commission a new work.
Guests and visitors inspired by the Orb are always invited to extend the experience at The Betsy’s highly regarded dining destinations. Located just steps from the installation, The Alley offers a trattoria-style pizzeria led by award-winning, internationally acclaimed Chef Laurent Tourondel, alongside La Ventanita, a walk-up window serving freshly brewed coffee, house-made gelato, crepes and pizza. For a more refined dining experience, LT South Beach, also helmed by Chef Tourondel, presents a casually elegant New American menu that blends international flavors and techniques. Diners at LT South Beach can enjoy ‘The Dessert Orb’, a delicately crafted chocolate confection.
thebetsyhotel.com/explore/exhibitions/thebetsyorb
Photos Courtesy of The Betsy – South Beach