Mercedes Dorame—Deliquescence: Sites of Transformation

Tongva artist Mercedes Dorame’s large-scale installation draws on archival research—including historical images of regional freshwater springs—to present her monumental photographs together with sculptural and painted elements. The installation reflects her ongoing interest in place, memory, and the presence of ancestral histories.

“Deliquescence: Sites of Transformation” is a commissioned installation linking photography, painting, sculpture, ceramics, and a soundscape of Tongva poetry. Freshwater springs, like those found throughout Southern California, are sites of deep history, where Indigenous peoples gathered and cultures flourished. For Dorame, the spring is a site of encounter like The Huntington, a place where histories are surfaced through the historical archive, where memory is preserved and culture shared. When histories come to the surface, as when water courses from the earth, this encounter raises questions about what is preserved and how it is cared for.

Based in Los Angeles, Dorame is known for installations and photographs that invite viewers to consider the past, present, and future of Tongva presence on the land. Many of the sites she selects for her photographs have profound cultural and family connections. Her work reimagines Los Angeles through the history and culture of Indigenous peoples.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website