By Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com
We went to the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale expecting to be amazed by the Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition, an immersive art experience that is touring world wide.
As it turned out, another art display impressed us more during the visit to the venerable South Florida mall.
Although the up-close display of Michelangelo’s famous ceiling and altar frescoes via high-resolution imagery has been globally acclaimed, there are plenty of social media reviews from those who attended the exhibit and didn’t enjoy it. Count me among the latter group. (More on that below).
Fortunately, serendipity led to art elsewhere in the Galleria, which I hadn’t visited in many years. If not for the allure of the Michelangelo attraction, we wouldn’t have discovered the stunning Persian miniature paintings at Fotovat Atelier.
Every Persian miniature painting tells a story, primarily featuring animals and birds, by the artists of Fotovat Atelier in Fort Lauderdale. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Fotovat family tradition of fine art spanning three generations
The tradition of Persian miniature painting precedes Michelangelo, dating to the 13th century.
The miniature aspect of the artform doesn’t refer to the size of the painting, but rather to the minute and intricate detail of the images.
Atefeh, a young woman who along with her brother comprise the third generation of the family’s artists, explained the painstaking process.
Natural pigments, including lapis, turquoise and saffron, are used to produce vibrant colors, which are applied with tiny brushes consisting of a single strand of cat hair. Camel bone is the main platform for the paintings and colorful decorative boxes at Fotovat Atelier.
Persian miniature painting characterized by intricate detail
Every picture tells a story, primarily featuring animals and birds. The picture frames are works of art in the own right, decorated with delicate geometric shapes and floral designs utilizing ultra-thin strings of brass, camel bone and colored wood.
Atefeh’s grandfather began the family’s tradition of Persian miniature painting in 1940. Her father, Mostafa Fotovat, is an award-winning artist whose life has been dedicated to creating, teaching and promoting Persian miniature paintings, and his artworks have been exhibited in many countries in Europe — including at the Louvre in Paris — as well as the United States.
The family tradition is in good hands with the latest generation. Atefeh mentioned that her specialty is painting birds. My favorite piece in the gallery turned out to be her depiction of a mythological Phoenix bird in flight with 30 birds elaborately interwoven in its body and wings.
Fotovat Atelier is scheduled to exhibit in eight art shows around the U.S. in 2026. The next is July 9-12 at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair on Long Island, New York , followed by the Seattle Art Fair, July 23-26.
Fotovat Atelier creases unique handmade decorative treasure boxes crafted from camel bone and adorned with highly detailed miniature paintings. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)More art to see at Fort Lauderdale Galleria Mall
Fotovat Atelier is one of several art-related businesses at the Galleria in Fort Lauderdale. Among them, Brushstrokes Studio for working artists, and the Ceramic Art Café, a paint-your-own pottery studio.
Fantasia Art features fine art and decor, including bronze statues, chandeliers and paintings. The elaborate Turkish carpets and lamps are also works of art at El Rincon De Fehmi.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Experience continues at the Galleria Mall through June 14, 2026. Tickets begin at $28 for general admission. The Mall is at 2414 E Sunrise Blvd in Fort Lauderdale. The show can be seen elsewhere in North America, Europe and Asia.
Many people are moved by the exhibit. They welcome the opportunity to view digital images of the famous paintings close enough to see Michelangelo’s brush strokes. Unlike visiting the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, visitors aren’t rushed through and are permitted to take photos.
Others have expressed disappointment that Michelangelo’s work wasn’t presented as a true immersive experience like some other famous art exhibits making the rounds in recent years.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition runs through June 14, 2026, at Galleria Fort Lauderdale. The immersive experience showcases 34 life-size, eye-level reproductions of the iconic frescoes. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Sistine Chapel Experience gets mixed reviews
I found the presentation of the Michelangelo Sistine Chapel Experience odd and disjointed, seeing the famous frescoes presented out of context in a former department store space.
What impresses me most about the Sistine Chapel paintings is the mind-boggling accomplishment itself. Of what Michelangelo had to do to cover some 12,000 square feet of space on a ceiling 68 feet high with a mind-boggling array of images in four years.
The individual panels were created to be viewed from a distance as components of the overall expanse of the inside of the chapel.
Viewed up close, many of the images are jarring, some of them quite bizarre. The anatomy of many of the characters are exaggerated, even cartoonish.
In my view, the delicate work of the Persian miniature paintings at Fotovat Atelier was more aesthetically pleasing. But that’s just me.
Go see for yourself.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition runs through June 14, 2026, at Galleria Fort Lauderdale. The immersive experience showcases 34 life-size, eye-level reproductions of the iconic frescoes. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)
More about art and artists of various types from Craigslegztravels
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Visiting Spain: Here’s why you should go to a flamenco show
New Mexico: Wonderland of art, artists
Chicago live music: Plenty of options for lovers of Blues, jazz
Surreal St. Pete: Tripping on Dali, Chihuly and getting ZaZoo’d
Buffett Backstories: Book sheds light on 50 Jimmy Buffett songs, Key West
I had the exact same reaction to the Michel Angelo exhibit, the quality of the prints were dull and faded. Very disappointing. I was happy to disvover Atelier Fotovat next door and I would have gladly paid them the cost of admission instead. The work is anazing using very old Persian technique. So it all worked out in the end.