There’s an earthy smell when walking into “Bringing the Outside In” at Green Space Miami. The scent of dried flowers and plants lingers in the air, immediately setting the tone for an exhibition that’s both immersive and sensory.
Artist Dahlia Dreszer has transformed the gallery into a space that feels like part garden, part living room. At the center are fabric and plant installations, and most of the flowers are rescued, originally used at a wedding at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). Surrounding these are large-scale photographs, where flowers, plants, and textiles appear again, reinforcing the materials physically present in the space. The lively colors and detailed compositions create a strong visual impact.
One key element is a yellow armchair, which appears in several of Dreszer’s photographs. The same chair is placed within the gallery, inviting viewers to sit and engage directly with the environment depicted in the work. This small detail adds an interactive layer to the show, making it clear that this exhibition is meant to be experienced, not just viewed.
Dreszer, who was born in Colombia and raised in Panama, draws heavily from personal and cultural history. Many of the textiles included in the installation were passed down through her family, while others—specifically the molas, hand-sewn by Kuna Yala Indigenous women in Panama—connect the show to a broader cultural context. The elements underscore the exhibition’s themes of migration, heritage, and the preservation of identity across generations.
The artist’s relationship with plants is also personal. Her name, Dahlia, comes from a family story: her grandmother used to send dahlia seeds to her mother while she was pregnant. In this context, the floral imagery throughout the show becomes more than just aesthetic, it’s tied to her origin.
The final (or initial, depending on how you go through the exhibition) section shifts into new territory. A collaborative photograph made with AI marks a clear transition from organic and handmade to digital experimentation. Viewers are invited to input their own phrases to generate similar images, a process that still has its technical flaws but points toward the growing role of AI in creative work.
There’s more AI. Visitors can interact with an AI version/clone of Dreszer. When I asked how it would respond to artists or journalists critical of AI in art, its response was straightforward: “AI is a tool, just like brushes to a painter. Their work is a collaboration.” While the technology is still glitchy at times, the inclusion of the AI clone presents like an intentional part of the project, an experiment rather than a polished final product, that learns as it interacts with the viewer.
In “Bringing the Outside In,” Dreszer not only examines the boundary between inside and outside spaces, but also between human and machine-made creation. The exhibition mixes cultural memory, natural materials, and emerging technologies to reflect the hybrid world we live in today.
IF YOU GO
What: "Bringing the Outside In" by Dahlia Dreszer
When: Noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday through May.
Where : Green Space Miami, 7200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
Cost: Free
Information: 305-751-8816 or greenspacemiami.org
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit news partner of WLRN, providing news on theater, dance, visual arts, music and the performing arts.
