To Dream con los cuerpos
CUrated by:
Fabiola R. Delgado
March 22- April 26, 2025
Jennifer Albarracin Moya, Rachel Dickerson,
Patricia Encarnación, Kiara-Maribel Rivera,
Raúl Romero, Gabriel Soto
Visionary Leaders Circle Preview:
Fri. March 21, 5-7pm
Opening Reception: Sat. March 22, 12-6pm
Among All These Dreamers: an Intimate Dream Circle
Thurs. April 10, 6:30 - 8 pm at Transformer
Find more details below. Purchase tickets here!
Media:
Postcard
Press Release
To dream con los cuerpos is an exploration of the physical and metaphysical nature of dreams: how they exist beyond the realm of the imagined and permeate our lived realities. The exhibition examines dreams as active forces, shaping our perceptions, identities, and the ways we move through the world. Influenced by ancestral memory, cultural imprints, yearnings, and subconscious dialogues, dreams aren’t just ephemeral wanderings of the mind; they have weight, impact, and consequence.
Dreams are held in the individual body, pulsing through muscle memory, surfacing in gestures, and manifesting themselves in our daily movements. But they’re also inscribed upon the collective body: the body of a people, of a nation, of history itself. In this sense, the exhibit engages with the idea that dreaming is a personal, collective, spiritual, and even political act; one that connects us to our histories and visions of futurity. It also questions what happens when the ability to dream is disrupted, whether through displacement, systemic barriers, or environmental shifts that alter our internal landscapes.
The title “To dream con los cuerpos” was crafted in collaboration with Bolivian poet Paola Senseve, emphasizing the idea that dreams manifest through the languages of bodies: human, animal, natural, digital, political, and mythological. Featuring the work of six Latinx artists across painting, ceramics, installation, sound, photography, digital collage, and textiles, this exhibition explores dreams as both literal and metaphorical spaces of refuge, loss, and transformation. Patricia Encarnación reconstructs idyllic Caribbean imagery through the lens of locals, challenging the portrayal shaped by colonial narratives and even advertising companies; Raúl Romero plays with the connection between people and their environment, using soundscapes to anchor us in time and place; Kiara Rivera’s deeply personal textile piece, weaves connections between past and present, presenting dreams as a continuous thread of memory and existence. Rachel Dickerson’s abstract ceramics act as physical manifestations of dreamlike states, capturing the fluidity of reality and the unpredictable power of nature. Jennifer Albarracin Moya uses photography to navigate the unfixed boundaries between memory and dream, tracing the fleeting presence of her heritage and cultural narratives. Not only does Gabriel Soto meditate on concepts of godly and scientific knowledge, but he’s also a DREAMer* and DACA** recipient, adding another layer of resonance to the title.
To dream con los cuerpos speaks not only to the personal act of dreaming but to the sociopolitical realities of displacement, belonging, and the right to imagine futures. It invites viewers to consider dreams not as distant or abstract, but as lived and embodied experiences, realities we pursue, inhabit, and carry within us, even as they shift, and maybe even disappear. What does it mean to dream when the body is in flux, and at stake? What happens when dreams are interrupted, fractured, or stolen? How does dreaming tether us to our histories and propel us toward possible futures? And in moments of uncertainty, how can art serve as a way of reclaiming our right to dream?
* Referring to The Dream Act, a proposed legislation that would permanently protect certain immigrants who came to the United States as children, and which for over 20 years has been in contention in Congress, but has never become law.
** Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING
Open House Reception at Transformer
Sat. March 22 from 12 - 6 PM
Conversation with exhibition curator Fabiola R. Delgado, 1 - 2 PM
Free & open to the public
Among All These Dreamers: an Intimate Dream Circle
Thurs. April 10 | 6:30 - 8pm | at Transformer
This special program invites participants to gather in a Dream Circle –a space for sharing, exploring, and interpreting dreams in a confidential and supportive environment. Rooted in ancestral traditions, this event invites participants to connect deeply with one another through storytelling and collective reflection. Exhibition curator Fabiola R. Delgado and facilitator Inés Sanchez will guide participants through prompts and open discussion, providing support as we explore how dreams influence our realities and how to channel them into purposeful action. As a gift, each participant will receive an exclusive dream care package to continue nurturing their journey. Proceeds from this experience will be split between Transformer and the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights. Purchase a ticket here!
Among All These Dreamers: a Communal Dream Circle
Sat. April 12 | 12:30-2pm | Logan Circle Park
This public gathering invites participants to join a Community Dream Circle ––a collective space for sharing, listening, and interpreting dreams as interconnected experiences. Rooted in ancestral traditions and storytelling practices, the circle will explore how dreams shape our identities, connect us to cultural memory, and inspire visions for the future. Bring a chair, blanket, or something to sit on! Free & open to the public with RSVP form below.
ABOUT THE CURATOR /
Fabiola R. Delgado (b. Cabimas, Venezuela) is an independent curator, creative producer, and cultural advocate based in Washington D.C. Formerly a Human Rights lawyer and political asylum seeker, she channels her commitment to justice through artistic and cultural experiences. Recognizing storytelling as the essence of her practice, she leads projects that recenter peripheral perspectives and foster intergenerational creative learning. R. Delgado is a recipient of the inaugural National Leaders of Color Fellowship, a collaborative program supported by the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, as well as an Arts and Humanities Fellowship from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She has worked with esteemed institutions including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of American History, Washington Project for the Arts, Times Square Arts, apexart NYC, the Brooklyn Museum, S.O.U.R.C.E. Studio, and The FUNDRED Project with renowned artist, Mel Chin. Her work has been reviewed in The New York Times, BmoreArt Magazine, Artishock Magazine, Arte al Día, and Intervenxions by The Latinx Project at NYU, among other publications.
Website: fabiolardelgado.com
Instagram: @fabiola.rdelgado
ABOUT THE PROGRAM FACILITATOR /
Bolivian-born curator Inés Sanchez de Lozada explores radical community-building practices grounded in love, care, rest, and pleasure. Her research primarily investigates dreams—bridging dreaming, daydreaming, and aspiration—as a catalyst for social change. Through intimate and interactive environments, she creates spaces for collective learning and research, examining the intersection of community care and dreams across scientific, artistic, and activist dimensions. This approach has deepened her commitment to centering care in her practice and has led her to be an active advocate for the wellbeing of artists. Inés holds an MFA in Curatorial Practice from the Maryland Institute College of Art (2023) and a BA in Political Science, with a focus on anti-oppression theories, from Guilford College. She is currently the Gallery Manager at BmoreArt.
Instagram: @floating.shadows
ABOUT THE ARTISTS /
Jennifer Albarracin Moya is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work transforms abstract concepts into visually engaging art. With a focus on digital media, she extends her artistic practice to enhance community-building, dialogue, and educational outreach. Her use of technology serves as a bridge between diverse cultural narratives and fosters deeper connections among audiences. Albarracin Moya holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies with a minor in Latin American Studies from the College of William & Mary, where she graduated in 2018. Since then, she has exhibited her short films and photography at venues such as the University of Miami, The College of William & Mary, Society for Photographic Education, Gainesville Annual Short Film Festival, and Creating Casa. She has worked with respected arts institutions, including Homie House Press, Transformer DC, Waller Gallery, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Website: jenniferalbarracin.com
Instagram: @jen_am_i
Rachel Dickerson is a ceramicist and sculptor from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, whose work explores fluidity, texture, and movement through abstract expressionism. Of African American and Salvadoran descent, her practice reflects organic forms and intuitive processes, drawing from a rich cultural and material vocabulary. Working primarily with stoneware clay, Dickerson employs techniques such as raku and overglaze firing to create dynamic surfaces. Her approach embraces the raw energy and unpredictability of the medium, pushing the boundaries of form and texture. She holds a degree in Graphic Design and Studio Art from Campbell University in North Carolina. Her work has been exhibited across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina, as well as internationally, including a 2024 showcase in Barcelona, Spain. In addition to her sculptural practice, her experience as an art handler and graphic designer informs her understanding of visual storytelling and spatial composition. Now based in Richmond, Virginia, Dickerson continues to refine her practice, expanding the expressive possibilities of ceramics through material experimentation and process-driven exploration.
Website: new.express.adobe.com/webpage/IfXSEap2uUhtZ
Instagram: @ihandbuild
Patricia Encarnación (she/they) is an Afro-Dominican interdisciplinary artist and scholar. Her work critically engages with colonial legacies across various socio-cultural layers within Afro-diasporic communities. Through explorations of material culture, collective memory, and cultural identity, Encarnación challenges tropes of Caribbean and tropical aesthetics by recontextualizing everyday objects, landscapes, and aesthetics from her upbringing. Encarnación was a Van Lier fellow during her residency at Smack Mellon and has participated in multiple residencies, including MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Kovent Catalonia, and most recently, the Silver Arts Project residency at the World Trade Center. Their artwork has been showcased at diverse platforms such as Documenta 15, the Tribeca Festival Artist Program Award, NADA Art Fair, Afro Syncretic at NYU, and I am New Afro Latinx at MOLAA, CA. Encarnación has been twice selected for The Centro Leon Jiménez Biennial in Santiago, DR, earning the city of Cádiz (Spain) cultural immersion prize and a special invitation to a fellowship sponsored by the French consulate in Martinique as part of the Tropiques Atrium Caribbean art program. They have also received recognition from the NALAC Fund for the Arts.
Website: patriciaencarnacion.com
Instagram: @patricia.encarnacion.c
Kiara-Maribel Rivera is a Salvadoran American multidisciplinary artist whose work interrogates memory, loss, and heritage through materiality and labor. Rooted in the history of displacement –her parents having fled El Salvador during the civil war, and their personal records lost to destruction– Rivera’s practice serves as a conceptual archive, mourning historical redaction while forging new narratives of preservation. Rivera earned her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a focus on ceramics, fibers, and sculpture. She has been a resident artist at DWL Air and a recipient of a Maryland State Arts Council grant. Her work has been exhibited at Visarts Gallery (Rockville, Maryland) and University of Maryland Latin American Studies and Caribbean Studies Center (LASC).
Website: https://www.are.na/kiara-rivera-wwclmklx9rg/channels
Instagram: @kiaramaribel_
Raúl Romero is a Philadelphia-based artist whose practice explores intercommunication between people and the environment. Drawing from technological histories, communication tools, ancient artifacts, sound production instruments, and his Puerto Rican ancestry, Romero examines the ways sound serves as a bridge between past, present, and future. His work investigates nostalgia, colonialism’s exploitation, and environmental impact, presenting sound as a dynamic force that is audible, visible, and physically felt through vibration. Romero holds an MFA in Sculpture from Yale University School of Art and is a member of the Vox Populi Gallery artist collective. His work has been exhibited at institutions including The Fabric Workshop and Museum and Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia, Locust Projects in Miami, The Kitchen in New York, The Denver Contemporary Art Museum, Transformer Gallery in Washington D.C., Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, and in Florida at The Contemporary Art Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, and The Tampa Museum of Art.
Website: raulromero.com
Instagram: @rauoool
Gabriel Soto (b. El Salvador) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work navigates the intersections of vintage imagery, philosophy, science, and esotericism. He earned his BFA from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, specializing in figurative and representational art. Grounded in the dialectic between archaic metaphysics and modern scientific ontology, his work examines the tensions between idealistic spirituality and materialist scientific theories. Drawing inspiration from 20th-century vintage imagery and classical art, Soto creates surreal compositions that evoke scientific documentation, geographic studies, and abstract diagrams. His work has been exhibited across Maryland, Washington, DC, the Midwest, virtual platforms, and he’s been awarded the Grant for Artists by the Maryland State Arts Council. A DACA recipient based in the D.C. area, Soto’s practice reflects his deep engagement with existential questions about the nature of reality, the fate of humanity, our evolving perceptions of the world, and the human desire to bridge rational understanding with the unknown.
Website: gabrielsoto.work
Instagram: @ga_so_art