"to meditate on the warmest dream" debuts at homework in Miami - an Interview with Curator Aurelio Aguiló

Installation view, "to meditate on the warmest dream" curated by Aurelio Aguiló paintings by Matthew Forehand. Miami Fla.

 

February 11, 2025, Miami

Whitehot Magazine spoke to curator Aurelio Aguiló about "to meditate on the warmest dream", the exhibition he curated in Miami, Florida at homework.

What was the inspiration behind curating this exhibition?

The inspiration for this exhibition came from a deeply personal experience. After an unexpected emergency heart surgery in May 2024, I spent the summer recovering—not just physically, but also processing intense anxiety and a lingering sense of doom. I kept having vivid feelings of death—how cold it felt—and was forced to confront my own mortality in a way I never had before. My doctors encouraged me to find ways to process these emotions, which led me back to Transcendental Meditation. At the same time, I started revisiting old memories, going through photo albums, trying to understand how I arrived at this moment and what it meant for moving forward. Being from the Caribbean, those memories felt like warm dreams—distant yet deeply foundational. I don’t know if the contrast between life and death made them feel warmer or if it’s simply because they all trace back to the tropics where I’m from. Even though they seemed far away, I knew they were essential to who I am now. The idea that memory and place shape us while also providing a sense of calm naturally connected to Roscoè and Matt’s work. It felt right to bring all of these elements together in one space.

"to meditate on the warmest dream" Artist Matthew Forehand

Installation view, "to meditate on the warmest dream" curated by Aurelio Aguiló work by Roscoè B. Thické III. Miami Fla.

"to meditate on the warmest dream" Artist Roscoè B. Thické III, Headshot Photo by Gregory Reed
 

Can you describe your creative process when working on the space? How were you thinking about the presentation?

Our new gallery space is a bit tricky. It’s large but has very little wall space, along with many reflective surfaces and mirrors. When planning the presentation, we wanted each artist’s work to have its own presence while also creating moments where they join together. Both artists are presenting seven artworks, so we structured the layout so that each artist occupies their own side of the space, then naturally converges in the smaller rooms in the back, where their works visually communicate. To enhance this dialogue, we also incorporated elements that interact with each artist’s work, such as the wall colors, the central structure in the space, and suspended pieces placed in front of mirrors.

How does this work fit into your broader curatorial practice or interests?

As I mentioned, this exhibition is more personal, focusing on how individual experiences shape us in unique ways while also connecting to broader shared experiences. Like our past exhibitions, this show is an extension of ideas we’ve been reflecting on. We collaborate with artists who are exploring or interested in exploring similar themes. We try to follow themes that resonate with us in the moment, shaping each show based on what’s on our minds and what feels relevant. Summer School, for example, centered on the importance of rest and leisure in creativity—something often overlooked in the fast-paced art world. We wanted to highlight how essential it is for artists and galleries to step back and recharge, especially in an industry that constantly demands visibility and productivity. In a way, it was a response to our own experience of needing to slow down while witnessing the pressure for constant engagement in a social media-driven world. Another exhibition, Hormiga Caribe, was more of a statement. Alongside nine Caribbean artists, we used the Hormiga Caribe (red fire ant) as a metaphorical guide to showcase the resilience of artists from the region and their ability to navigate the art world while staying true to their roots. Caribbean artists are sometimes overlooked, often seen as niche or even invasive, much like the Hormiga Caribe. Yet despite these perceptions, the Caribbean artistic community remains a powerful force, excelling across multiple creative mediums, including art, music, and film.

MATTHEW FOREHAND Prado de Flores Silvestres, 2024, Oil on Canvas

What emotions or messages do you hope the viewer takes away from this exhibition?

How memory and a physical location can directly and indirectly shape who we are and influence who we become. Nostalgia brings warmth, recalling meaningful moments filled with longing, comfort, joy, and reflection, but it can also remind us of our own mortality.

How did you find the artists Roscoè B. Thické III and Matthew Forehand?

Mayra and I met Roscoè and Matt a few years ago and instantly fell in love with their work. In 2023, they partnered with us and a few other artists for a group show titled Summer School, where we placed their works side by side. That’s when we saw the potential in how their contrasting styles communicated so seamlessly. Their work created a dynamic conversation, and we knew we wanted to explore this dialogue on a larger scale in the future.

Matthew Forehand's paintings feature a rich, immersive natural environment—what does the interaction between each artist, or contrast in styles accomplish?

We felt that both artists, despite their different mediums and styles, explored similar themes and complemented each other beautifully. Matthew’s flowing floral designs balance Roscoè’s bold geometric framework, creating a dynamic interplay between fluidity and structure. Their work highlights how form and memory shape both personal and shared experiences. In ‘to meditate on the warmest dream,’ both artists reflect on how aspects of their past have shaped their present and ultimately their body of work. Roscoè incorporates both the color blue and window grates, as they remind him of his childhood home and evoke a deep sense of nostalgia, while Matthew weaves together painted collages of foliage and landscapes from his early memories in North Carolina, Colombia, and Miami. Their approaches may differ stylistically, but together they create a powerful conversation about how we come to terms with our own nostalgia and integrate it into how we see the world.

The geometric framing and contrasting colors create a striking visual effect—it looks like a figure through a blue gel in Roscoè B. Thické III's works - but also contained within something. Tell me more about his work?

Roscoè’s work explores memory, community, and personal history. He combines photographic and sculptural elements, creating works that feel both intimate and reflective of the universal longing for connection. Two key elements in his work, the diamond-shaped window grates and
a distinct shade of blue, are drawn from his childhood. The grates come from the windows of his childhood home, where he would look out at the
world. Over time, they became a symbolic filter for how he saw and processed his surroundings. In this series, he shifts that perspective, inviting viewers to look outward through the grates, seeing the world as he once saw, imagined, and even dreamed it. The blue, which he calls “pork and bean blue,” comes from the blue color of his grandmother’s house, a place rich in family history. For him, this color carries a deep sense of nostalgia. The combination of black-and-white photography with blue plexiglass heightens this dreamlike quality, layering past and present.
In some pieces, the grates are physically enlarged using expanded PVC, extending into sculptural elements that add depth and texture to the works, drawing the viewer in closer.
 

ROSCOÈ B. THICKÉ III, The Look, 2025, Archival Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle Baryta Satin 300 gsm with Expanded PVC

Roscoè B. Thické III, Perception

The figures in the full-color sections of Roscoè's works stands out—what role does this person
play in the narrative of the artwork?

The figure seen through the blue plexiglass is his son. They often visit the hill depicted in the artworks to train together. His children frequently appear in his work, reflecting how fatherhood is woven into his practice. They are either present in his images or right beside him as he captures them. His work isn’t just about looking back; it’s about how memories, family, and community continue to shape the way he sees the world.

How does the black-and-white versus color relate to the themes you explore in the
exhibition?

Years ago, I had a conversation with someone about how dreams are often fragmented, shifting between black-and-white and color. I believe memories work in a similar way—like Matt piecing together landscape scenes over time in his painted collages or Roscoè filtering his photographs through familiar elements from his surroundings. This exhibition reflects that process, using color and structure to explore how perception and nostalgia shape the way we remember and, ultimately, who we become.

What's coming up for you in 2025/26?
In 2025-26, we’re focusing on refining our programming now that we have a permanent space. Having been nomadic for so long, this is a new challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to take full advantage of it. We’re also looking to continue expanding beyond our space with pop-up exhibitions and art fairs in other cities and countries. Finally, we’re exploring collaborations with guest curators and arts publications—something we’ve never done before but are excited to develop. WM