Paola Pivi’s Whimsical Bears Arrive at Aventura Mall

Aventura Mall’s art collection just got a little wilder, and a lot more colorful.

Globally celebrated contemporary artist Paola Pivi brings her iconic flair for the surreal to Aventura Mall with two new large-scale installations that are anything but ordinary. Suspended in midair, “Don’t try at home” and “That’s a good question” feature vibrant, feather-covered polar bears mid-motion, twisting, hanging, and dancing from the mall’s Upper Level in joyful defiance of gravity.

With their radiant pink and deep cobalt hues, these playful creatures are unmistakably Pivi: a delightful fusion of whimsy, wonder, and quiet rebellion.

“I like when people are surprised by art in unexpected places,” Pivi has said of her work, which has appeared everywhere from the High Line in New York to the Venice Biennale. Her bears, often depicted in poses more familiar to humans than animals, blur the line between real and imaginary… challenging viewers to change their point of view. Covered in bright synthetic feathers and frozen in kinetic poses, they inspire a moment of pause, curiosity, and maybe even a smile.

Meet the Artist

Paola Pivi, born in Milan and based in Hawaii, is known for her inventive, genre-bending installations. From zebras in the Arctic to planes that spin in place, her work stretches the boundaries of possibility. She’s exhibited at The Bass Museum, Centre Pompidou, MAXXI Rome, and many more major institutions around the world.

With each piece, Pivi invites viewers to reimagine what’s possible, using playfulness as a powerful artistic tool. By merging the absurd with the sublime, she creates moments of wonder that spark curiosity in all who encounter them, whether in a museum, on the streets of New York, or now, high above the walkways of Aventura Mall.

Aventura Mall’s commitment to bringing world-class contemporary art to the public makes it a fitting new home for Pivi’s work. These pieces are more than just sculptures… they’re encounters. Whether you’re grabbing coffee, shopping with friends, or passing by on your way to the next adventure, Pivi’s bears are here to remind you to look up, wonder more, and embrace the unexpected.

“Don’t try at home” and “That’s a good question” join 25+ museum-caliber art pieces that are part of the ARTS Aventura Mall collection.

Pivi’s art pieces are suspended from the Upper Level, near Jo Malone London. They are also viewable from the Lower Level, near Cartier, if you look up.