In 2024, Haiiileen presented Aura Reading, a site-specific installation and performance at the Miami Beach Convention Center for Art Week / Art Basel Miami. Commissioned by Citadel and Citadel Security, the project invited 52 participants into intimate conversations that were translated into bespoke aura paintings. Each one-of-one 18 × 24 in. artwork captured the essence of a participant’s energy through prismatic chemical compositions, geometric designs, and symbolic meaning, merging storytelling, technology, and human connection.
- Title: Aura Reading
- Artist: Haiiileen
- Medium: Artist’s own handcrafted chemical composition on archival acid-free paper
- Year: 2024
- Dimensions: 18 × 24 in.
- Edition: 1/1 (total of 52 unique paintings created for the installation)
- Location: Miami Beach Convention Center, Art Week / Art Basel Miami, December 5, 2024
Commissioned by Citadel and Citadel Security
Description
Aura Reading (2024) by Haiiileen is part of a transformative installation and performance where art and personal storytelling converge. Through intimate one-on-one conversations, participants uncover the unique essence of their lives, which is then translated into bespoke 1-of-1 paintings. Each work is enhanced by geometric design and symbolic meaning, serving as a visual reflection of the participant’s aura.
The project bridges technology and human connection, transforming private stories into chromatic and geometric forms that resonate with energy and identity.
Conceptual Framework
At its core, Aura Reading continues Haiiileen’s exploration of synesthesia, relational aesthetics, and prismatic perception. The paintings are not simply static objects but living archives of human interaction — translations of personal energy fields into visual form.
The use of handcrafted chemical compositions on archival paper underscores the materiality of memory and connection, anchoring ephemeral human encounters in lasting, physical form.
Presented during Art Week 2024 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and commissioned by Citadel and Citadel Security, the project highlighted the intersection of corporate patronage, community engagement, and avant-garde artistic practice.
Archival Significance
This body of work is a landmark in Haiiileen’s archive. Over the course of the performance, 52 one-of-one aura paintings were created — each representing a distinct individual’s narrative and energy.
As a site-specific project within the context of Art Basel Miami, Aura Reading not only expanded Haiiileen’s repertoire of participatory performances but also introduced a scalable, archival framework for personal storytelling translated into fine art.
Each painting is a unique record, tied to a specific moment and person, but collectively they form a series that documents the shared vibrational spectrum of Art Week 2024.
