MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — He made a name for himself worldwide as a teenager playing tennis, but he got injured, so he then got into reality TV and making parody videos on YouTube.
In 2011, and again in 2013, Steve Berke ran for mayor of Miami Beach, but lost both times while running on the platform of decriminalizing marijuana.
Four years later, he started a church in Denver -- the International Church of Cannabis, where members use pot as its sacrament. And he’s also the man behind Munchies Pizza Club in Fort Lauderdale.
Now the 44-year-old is working on something new that he can’t wait for everyone to experience.
There’s a $29.5 million effort underway to keep the iconic Lincoln Road on Miami Beach the place to be, and the business improvement district has plans, renderings and the imagination of Berke.
The South Florida native is taking over the soon-to-be-closed Regal Cinemas and transforming the place into what he calls a Superhuman Museum.
“Miami Beach is a world class destination without a world class museum, without a world class destination,” he said. “We have the beaches, we have restaurants, we have nightclubs, but we don’t have that one thing that everyone has to do when they come into town.”
Berke says he designed his Superhuman Museum to be visually stunning, combining physical works by the world’s greatest artists alongside digital installations, music driven experiences and interactive art.
“We’re creating Superhuman not just for tourists, but also for locals,” he explained. “This is going to be an institution that our residents can be proud of. We are going to have incredible immersive installations mixed with original Picasso, original Andy Warhol, original Marc Chagall, original Alexander Calder. This is going to be the MoMA 2.0, with storytelling, show elements, lasers, fog, unlike anything ever been built in the world.”
Berke’s in a hurry. His team begins work in November and the goal is to open in time for Art Basel 2026.
“Unlike other contemporary art museums around the world, Superhuman will not be abstract,” he said. “We have a very distinct point of view, and that is using art to encourage our visitors to strive to become the best versions of themselves. Hence, Superhuman. We want you leaving the museum being a better human being, thinking about your life’s choices, thinking about how you treat other people.”
Berke says he grew up going to Lincoln Road with his parents, and the idea for a museum there came to him in 2019.
Now he’s close to making his dream happen.
“We are combining elements of theme parks, of art museums and of experiential museums worldwide to bring something incredibly unique,” he said.
The 80,000 square foot property has enough room for rides as well. Berke says the building’s exterior will remain the same.
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