American Sky is a video performance in which Mano Penalva filmed himself  on the edge of Biscayne Bay and Morningside Park in Miami, Florida. In the piece, the artist holds a flag that he has sewn from sections of the flag of the United States of America.  Penalva’s flag, however, is constructed from only the US flag’s navy blue rectangle of stars—a complete night sky for all nations. The artist, struggling to stand erect against the winds and the water’s tides, simultaneously evokes a feeling of being grounded and having lost one’s footing. Penalva’s flag is that of a more inclusive America—one that includes all of the Americas and its many kind of Americans—not just a single nation. American Sky is an urgent invitation to understand America in its entirety.

Project developed during residency at Fountainhead Residency, Miami (2020) in partnership with The55project Foundation which aims to increase the visibility of Brazilian artists outside the national boundaries through constant dialogue and exchange with international organizations.