Miami, FL – (November 13) – HistoryMiami Museum is proud to announce the opening of Belonging in Transit, a new photography exhibition by Carlos Muñoz that offers a deeply personal and honest look at the lived experience of migration. The exhibition opens to the public Thursday, November 20.

Set in Redland, Florida, at a migrant market on the edge of Miami where communities from around the world intersect, Muñoz’s photo essay goes beyond simple documentation. For the artist, who is himself a migrant from Venezuela, Redland is a mirror of his own story. The people he photographs aren’t strangers, they reflect his memories of separation, shifting family ties, and the ongoing effort to find one’s place.

Rather than capturing a single moment in time, Belonging in Transit is the result of three years of exploring migration as an ongoing reality shaped by movement, memory, and the search for connection. Intimate and human, the photos – the last of which was taken in January of this year – don’t seek to explain or resolve, rather they invite us – the audience – to sit with the complexity, the coexistence of loss and strength, dislocation and determination.

“As a migrant myself, I immediately recognized parts of myself in the Redland Market. The flavors, textures, and colors brought me closer to my origins and to a sense of home. I listened before photographing and learned that belonging doesn’t happen overnight; it’s built as we work, talk, and care for our families,” said Muñoz. “I want visitors to this exhibition to feel part of a living market of stories—where fragility and strength coexist, creating space for success, joy, and new beginnings.”

This work helps audiences think differently about belonging, not as something fixed, but as something continually shaped by experience. Through this exhibition, Muñoz encourages viewers to consider that the need for home, continuity, and understanding is something we all share.

Muñoz is the 2024 recipient of the HistoryMiami Museum Photography Fellowship, made possible through the Pérez CreARTE Grant Program. The fellowship supports emerging photographers from diverse communities whose work captures the evolving stories of South Florida. Many of the images in Belonging in Transit will become part of the Museum’s permanent collection, contributing to the ongoing documentation of Miami’s history.

“Carlos’s work embodies the Museum’s mission to tell Miami’s stories through the people who live them,” said Natalia Crujeiras, Executive Director and CEO of HistoryMiami Museum. “Through his lens, we see migration not as a statistic or an issue, but as a deeply human experience that connects us all. Belonging in Transit reminds us that Miami itself is a city in motion, shaped by those who arrive seeking home and belonging.” 

Belonging in Transit is located at HistoryMiami Museum, located at 101 W. Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33130.

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About HistoryMiami Museum: 
Founded in 1940, HistoryMiami Museum is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Miami and a Smithsonian Affiliate. It is committed to preserving and celebrating the rich history of the city, its people, and its diverse communities. With a mission to provide inclusive spaces for dialogue and reflection, the museum creates immersive exhibitions and educational programs that engage visitors in meaningful explorations of Miami’s past, present and future. The museum’s extensive collections—comprising over 30,000 artifacts and more than two million images—offer a deep dive into the stories that shape Miami’s identity. In addition to exhibitions and collections, HistoryMiami offers public programs, community initiatives, and special events that encourage civic engagement and highlight what makes Miami, Miami.