DREAMers Portals

The tedious existence of a DREAMer, also known as a DACA recipient, exists in the threshold between documented and undocumented status. This installation creates a series of “portals” in the form of door frames leading toward the “American Dream” arch. Only one portal has a direct physical pathway to the arch, but all the portals are bound by the series of woven threads, creating layered thresholds. The moiré effect at play signifies the varying degrees of distance from the “American Dream”. Each portal represents a different approach. The DREAMers Portal is a half-fulfilled promise wedged
between the documented and undocumented. It frames the “American Dream” arch perfectly but prevents any access to it. The space is small, with little room for movement, evoking a sense of restriction. Although this portal is closest to the arch, it is also the most obstructed. For the DREAMer, the “American Dream” ends before it even begins.
The Undocumented Portal is significantly shorter than the rest, forcing the person experiencing that space to bow upon entry. The space behind the portal is larger, yet still enclosed. After roaming within the space for a while, the viewer is ultimately forced to exit the same way they entered.
The Documented Portal is the only one that has an “exit” into the “American Dream”
arch. Upon entering the portal, the viewer cannot immediately see the arch; only after passing the threshold does the arch come into full view.
Each portal is wrapped in ornaments that transition from intricate to monolithic, compressing detail as they move downward.
This transformation reinforces the project’s directional logic; thresholds are coded through distinct typologies and intensified by color-driven LEDs, registering orientation, passage, and distance from the “American Dream.