Everyone experiences grief in its many forms.
But the grief that comes with the death of a partner, and especially at a young age, is not talked about enough.
Love Never Dies reassesses the notion of death by honoring love beyond the physical plane.
Grief is love that has nowhere to go...
What we do with the grief is what makes the love flow.
Love Never Dies, an iteration of Spark Of My Life, is a photography exhibition centered on the final chapter in the life of Juan Alexander Caraballo, better known as the legendary Miami DJ Jonnie Sparko, as documented by his partner, photographer Paola Katherine Rodriguez.
Curated by Rebecca Friedman, PhD, and Alon Skuy, the exhibition traces the couple’s shared journey—through illness, tenderness and artistic collaboration—culminating in a poignant record of Jonnie’s last days.
At the heart of the exhibition is the camera, serving as both witness and medium. The photographs offer insight into Jonnie and Paola’s connection, shaped in part by their Broken Free Project, which used portraiture to support healing for survivors of trauma. In Jonnie, she found her final subject—someone who brought vulnerability and resilience into focus in equal measure.
Love Never Dies invites viewers to reflect on themes of dignity, grief and enduring emotional bonds, encouraging a collective space for contemplation and empathy.
This exhibition was supported by the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation through the CreARTE grant, in partnership with the Miami Foundation, the Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab at FIU, iWitness and IPC ArtSpace.
Installation photographs by Christopher Mitchell.
